Forms of

Philippine Folk
Dances
What is Folk Dance?
• refers to the dances created and performed
collectively by the ordinary people.
• Folk dances may also be divided into “regional”,
which refers to dances particular to one locale or
area; and the “national”, which refers to those
performed all over the country.
• A related term is “creative folk dance” which
refers to character dance whose choreography
uses folk steps and music.
Forms of Philippine Folk Dances
1. RURAL DANCES
Perhaps the best known and closest to the Filipino
heart are the dances from the rural Christian
lowlands: a country blessed with so much beauty.
To the Filipinos, these dances illustrate the fiesta
spirit and demonstrate a love of life. Typical attire
in the Rural Suite includes the colorful Balintawak
and patadyong and skirts for women, and camisa
de chino and colored trousers for men.
Forms of Philippine Folk Dances
2. SPANISH-INFLUENCED DANCES
The coming of the Spaniards in the 16th century
brought influence in Philippine life. These dances
reached the zenith in popularity around the turn of
the century, particularly among urban Filipinos.
They are so named in honor of the Legendary
Maria Clara who remains a symbol of the virtues
and nobility of the Filipina woman.
Forms of Philippine Folk Dances
3. MINDANAO DANCES
Mindanao and Sulu were never conquered by Spain.
Islam was introduced in the Philippines in the 12th century
before the discovery of the islands by Magellan in 1521.
The dances in Muslim however predated the Muslim
influence like the Ipat, which was a dance to appease
ancestral spirits. Before Islam, the Maguindanaos held the
view that diseases are caused by tonong (ancestral
spirits). Thus; a folk healer performs the pag-ipat while
being possessed by the tinunungan (spirit).
Forms of Philippine Folk Dances
4. CORDILLERA DANCES
These are the dances of mountain tribes in
Northern Luzon, such as those of the Kalinga and
the Ifugao people. Cordillera, a name given by the
Spanish Conquistadors when they first saw the
mountain ranges. Meaning “knotted rope”, the
Spanish term refers to the jumbled rolls and dips of
this long-range traversing the northern part of
Luzon Island.
Forms of Philippine Folk Dances
5. ETHNIC/TRIBAL DANCES
The cultural minorities that live in the hills and
mountains throughout the Philippine Archipelago
considered dances as basic part of their lives. Their
Culture and animistic beliefs predated Christianity and
Islam. Dances are performed essentially for the gods.
As in most ancient cultures, unlike the Muslim tribes in
their midst, their dances are nonetheless closely
intertwined with ceremonials and rituals. Rinampo and
Talbeng are examples of these dances.