IGOROT
In the Cordilleras of the Northern Luzon, still live pagan folks known as Igorots of Mountain People that preserved their identity, customs and lore. Dance and rituals for them is an expression of community life animation primitive to cure ailments, to ensure success in war, to earn bountiful harvest and to have favorable weather and to give thanksgiving.
RAGRAGSAKAN - The word means merry making. Kalinga celebrates an occasion; village women walk in long line through the terraces skipping through breaks in the dikes. They carry on their heads labba or bakul baskets. A more picturesque sight is when the baskets are unfurled to ward off the cold mountain air.
CHIEFTAIN - A dance of different tribe heads to celebrate a victory, to exchange tribe concerns or just to renew ties.
IDAW - about an omen - bearing beard whose movements are being watched for some predictions about an impending battle.
SALIP - This dance depicts a warrior claiming his bride by presenting her a matrimonial blanket. He imitates the movement of a rooster of love play aspiring to attract and seize love.
BANGA - "Banga" literally means pot. The Banga or pot dance is a contemporary performance of Kalinga of the Mountain Province in the Philippines. This dance illustrates the languid grace of a tribe otherwise known as fierce warriors. Heavy earthen pots, as many as seven or eight at a time, are balanced on the heads of maidens as they trudge to the beat of the "gangsa" or wind chimes displaying their stamina and strength as they go about their daily task of fetching water and balancing the banga.
SALIDSID - The salidsid is the Kalinga courtship dance, performed by a male and female (and thus is sometimes called the "cayoo" dance). The dance starts when each of the dancers are given a piece of cloth called "ayob" or "allap" Usually the most important people in the village are the second to dance after the host has signified that the occasion is formally open. The background and meaning in this dance is evident. The male simulates a rooster trying to attract the attention of a hen while the female imitates the movements of a hen being circled by a rooster.
BUMAYAH - A rousing festival dance by the Ifugaos, legendary builders of the rice terraces. The movements in this dance of the Ifugao tribe, imitating those of a rooster scratching the ground, symbolizes a thanksgiving prayer to the God Kabunian for a bountiful harvest.
BANAWOL - Banawe was named after Banawol, a chicken eating hawk in the region, arousing festival dance of the Benguet tribe (also called Ibaloi) uses the hawk movements and bright plumage
MARIA CLARA
It all began with an intrepid Portuguese mariner soiling for the Spanish crown. At the close epoch, some four hundred years inter, the pervasive echo remains attested to by these dances with their Castillian music.
DULCES - a song made by Jose P. Rizal for Filipinos
IKAW LAMANG - a famous Filipino song
JOVENCITA - a festival dance popular during the Spanish time danced by young women to honor important guests. Jovencita means “young lady” in Spanish
PASADOBLE - means double step. The term refers to the stirring marching music played as background music as bullfight and fiestas throughout Spain. The señorita wields her fan flirting with the gallants
PITIK MINGAW - a courtship dance of the young woman and young man who fell in love at first sight; “Pitik” is a Visayan word which means “miss”
PANDERETAS - this dance, named after the jingle-less tambourines carried by females originates from Tanza, Iloilo. A version of this dance shows females carry Spanish fans instead of tambourines while males play their castanets while dancing
JOTA INTRAMUREÑA - Spanish-influenced dance, like many other jotas have the usual castillan stamp and the bamboo castanets. This particular dance especially the many ways of using the manton by the woman
TRIBAL SUITE
The hill country of the Mindanao is inhibited by non-Christian tribes whose culture and beliefs predate Mohammedanism and Christianity. The B’laan as they are called from Davao, stimulate in dancing the movements of birds in flight making the use of malong around their neck. They sing their songs with such instruments as a two – stringed guitar called Kudyapi. The women string beads together for ornaments on festive occasions and wear bells for special occasions.
MAKATOD – a Mandayan dance focused on a young prince borne high by courtiers to a place of honor. The dance represents flying hawks and danced by males in bagani costume
DUGSO – the Bukidnon from Northeastern Mindanao perform this dance as an entertainment for the deities. To make them feel more comfortable during the fiesta that has been organized for them and consequently more open to the request of the celebrants. It was originally thought that this dance was performed only during harvest time or upon the birth of a male heir. Women would wear colorful feathered headdresses, plaid costumes and anklets. They would step rhythmically around a ritual fire called dapalan offering to the gods for a good harvest and their movements emphasized by the tinkling sounds from the anklets
PAGDIWATA – the origins of which can be treated from the Tagbanuan Tribe of Palawan, which depicts the rituals performed after planting rice
T’BOLI – colorful maidens attired in their traditional costumes participate in the festival called an ancient rite said to exude spontaneous magkal effects along the guma mountains
BLIT B’LAAN – a courtship dance of the B’laan of the Davao del Sur, imitating forest birds during the mating season. Two richly plumed male birds eyed three female bird. The female scurry to safety burying their heads, ladder their wings (represented by the malong, a tubular cloth) but the aggressive male birds follow them wherever they go
MUSLIM SUITE
Life in Mindanao, the southern part of the Philippines, is vivid with color in its striking costumes. The dances are Hindu - Malayan influences that give emphasis on the upper torso and the use of hands to express nuances of feeling. These are the old Kingdom before the coming of Spain.
PASANDALAN - Maranao dance that exhibits skillful maneuvers of banners of celebration.
KINI - KINI - a royal and graceful way of walking as woman long sensuous carves wield with expertise through flicks of fingers and wrist movements.
LINGGISAN - Muslim dance performed by woman characterized by grace and fluid movements. Inspired of birds, this dance is complimented with delicate symmetry of slender limbs and fingers, colorful clothing and accessories and "janggay".
KAPPAGONOR - an instrumental interlude highlighting the ancient art of playing the Maranaw kulintang, gongs and dabakan drum in welcoming the guest.
KAPPA MALONG MALONG - also called Sambi sa Malong, this Maranao dance shows the many ways of wearing a malong, a simple tabular yet highly functional piece of cloth. The traditional women's version shows this cloth of countless colorful designs; used mostly as a skirt, woven in many different ways, depending on the purpose of the wearer. Other ways the women wear malong is as a shawl, mantle, or a headpiece.
MANGALAY TAMBOUR - popular festival dance in Sulu. Maidens dance with their janggay nails and the man with their tambours executing exhibitions and various skills.
PAUNJALAY - The Yakan, a seafaring tribe, uses fish movements in their dances. A pre-nuptial dance of the Yakan tribe of Basilan performed by the bride and the groom prior to the wedding ceremony in the langal of church. Both their faces are dotted with white paints to hide their identity from evil spirits.
VINTA - Vinta is a boat used by the Muslims. The dance imitates the movements of the vinta in rough waters as dancers balances perilously on top of bamboo poles.
SINGKIL - perhaps one of the oldest and truly Filipino dances originating from Lanao del Sur, the Singkil recounts the epic legend of the Darangen of the Maranao poeple of the Mindanao. This epic, written sometime in the 14th century tells the tale of prince Bantugan and Princess Gandingan was caught in the middle of a forest during an earthquake caused by diwatas, or fairies of the forest. The princess is accompanied by a lady who holds a beautifully decorated umbrella over the princess. To this day in the Sulu archipelago, people are required to learn this difficult and noble dance.
RURAL SUITE
The friendly sunny nature of the Philippines is captured in sparkling dance of skill, frolic, fun and delight.
PANDANGGO SA ILAW – this popular dance of grace and balance is from Lubang Island, Mindoro in the Visayan region. The term pandanggo comes from the Spanish word fandango, which is a dance characterized by lively steps and dance of light simulating fireflies of duck in the countryside. This particular pandanggo involves the presence of the tinggoy or oil lamps, balance on the head and the back of each hand
OASIWAS – after a good catch, fishermen of Lingayen would celebrate by drinking wine and by dancing swinging and circling a lighted lamp. Hence, the name oasiwas which in the Pangasinan dialect means “swinging.” This unique and colorful dance calls for skill in balancing an oil lamp on the head while circling in each hand a lighted lamp wrapped in a porous cloth
KALAPATI – this dance from Cabugao, Ilocos Sur province, symbolizes peace and is represented by imitating the movements of a graceful dove. It portrays the simplicity of Ilocanos naturalness and shyness
MAGLALATIK – a new version of the mock war dance from Laguna where men wear coconut shells around their bodies beating into a rhythm
KABUKIRAN – a lively song extolling the virtue of living in the country
SUBLI – from the province of Batangas comes this ancient dance, originally performed in veneration of the Holy Cross of Alitagtag referred in the vernacular as Mahal na Poong Santa Cruz. The word Subli is derived from the two Tagalog word subsob (stooped) and bali (broken). Hence, the men are stooped all throughout the dance with clicking bamboo castanets and appear to be lame and crooked while the women dance with hats, dancing gracefully
SAYAW SA BANGKO – this dance is native to the barrio of Pangasinan, Lingayen. They demand skill from its performances who must dance on top of a bench roughly six inches wide
TINIKLING – honored as the Philippine National dance. Tinikling is a favorite in the Visayan Island, especially in the Island of Leyte. The dance imitates the movement of the tikling birds as they walk between grass stems run over tree branches or dodge bamboo traps set by the rice farmers. Dancers imitate the tikling birds legendary grace and speed by skillfully maneuvering between large bamboo poles
