DAISY D.

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January 6, 2024

The history of Philippine folk dancing incorporates influences from immigrants and conquerors
while at the same time maintaining distinctly Filipino roots. Philippine folk dancing is a true
reflection of daily life in past centuries while enchanting modern audiences at the same time.
Folk Dance History in the Philippines
Folkloric dance is the history of the people in movement. In some cultures, pale fragments of it
survive centuries of invasions and diasporas. In the Philippines, folk dance is a strong and
enduring indigenous expression.

Pre-Colonial
Before the recorded history of the Philippines, before the Spanish conquistadors conquered and
Christianized the populace, from the earliest occupation of this volcanic archipelago, the people
danced. They danced to appease the gods, to curry favor from powerful spirits, to celebrate a
hunt or harvest, to mimic the exotic life forms around them. They danced their stories and their
shamanic rituals, their rites of passage and their remembered legends and history.

Rural dances include such favorites as the high-stepping Tinikling, which mimics a bird, and the
Gaway-Gaway, which features the movements of children pulling the stalks of the gaway roots
during a bountiful harvest. The pagan tribes, the Higaonon, Subanon, Bagogo, and others who
have inhabited the Philippines for thousands of years, preserved their customs and symbolic
dances. Partly through isolation, they kept their culture free from the influence of the waves of
immigrants who settled the archipelago over the centuries. Today, tribal dances like Dugso (a
dance of gratitude for a good harvest or a male heir, danced with ankle bells), Sohten(an all-
male war dance) and Lawin-Lawin(another male dance which mimics a swooping, soaring
eagle) are carefully documented and kept alive in performance by Filipino folk dance troupes
and cultural institutions, such as the Parangal Dance Company.
The Pagdiwata is a trance dance, featuring women dancers who enact a thanksgiving ritual at
the time of the harvest moon. The shamanic figures mime the spirits who possess them and
enact a drama that can last for hours.
Muslim Merchants
Muslim traders from the Malay Archipelago reached the Philippines in the 14th century, well
ahead of the Europeans. Thier conversion of the populace was a modest affair; they were more
interested in commerce than colonization, although they did establish strongholds and convert
the local populace to Islam. They also created their own folk dances in the areas where they
settled. Singkil is one of the most famous. It depicts the plight of a princess caught in a magical
earthquake in a forest. Her faithful servant tries to shield her with a parasol as the princess
gracefully dodges falling trees, and is eventually saved by a prince.
Spanish Colonization
Folk dances survived the European invasion, and the dancers adapted imposed Christian belief
and culture to their own dances, borrowing court choreography but imbuing it with Philippine
spirit. The Maria Clara dances merged Spanish court style (and its stylized courtship
conventions) with Philippine exuberance. Maria Clara is the pure and noble heroine of a novel
who represents the finest qualities of Filipino womanhood. The dancers wear European 16th-
century dress but move to the sounds of bamboo castanets.
Folkloric Fusion
The revered folk dances from the lowlands and the hill tribes persist in their traditional form and
in contemporary choreography for Philippine ballet companies. Dance is still the theater of
identity for the Filipino people, a vibrant and cherished way to tell their story forward with all the
rich history of their past.
The Beat Goes On
Traditional dance is still performed at celebrations of births and weddings. Modern folk dance
festivals still feature ancient dances performed in costumes of the tribal period of the
Philippines. If you are fortunate enough to attend a performance, you will hear percussion
instruments such as the gangsa (a small copper gong), a tobtob (brass gong) or a hibat (a gong
played with a soft wooden stick), accompanying dances such as the Palok and the Lumagen.
Many tribal dances use no external musicians; the dancers generate their own accompaniment
with stomping and hand clapping.

Idudu: A Snapshot of Ancient Culture

From the area of Abra, Cordillera comes the Idudu, which is a celebration of the family as the
fundamental building block of Philippine culture. Depicting a typical day in the life of a family, the
father is shown working in the fields while the mother cares for the children. As soon as the
father is done, the mother goes into the fields to continue the work while the father goes back to
the house to put the baby to sleep.

A singer usually provides a well-known lullaby during this part of the dance, and it emphasizes
the necessity of cooperation and mutual support in the Tingulan family structure.
Maglalatik: The Dance of War
A dance from before the conversion of the Philippines to Christianity is called the Maglalatik. It
represents a fierce battle between the Moro tribesmen (wearing red trousers) and the Christian
soldiers from Spain (wearing blue). Both groups wear harnesses with coconut shells attached
tightly to their bodies which are struck repeatedly with other shells held in the hands.

Originally from the Binan, Laguna province, it is now one of the most common dances in
Philippine folk dance performances.
Pandanggo sa Ilaw: Grace and Balance
Derived from the Spanish word fandango, this dance is one of several designed to show off the
grace, balance, and dexterity of the performers. Three glasses of wine (or, in modern times,
water) are held in hands and on top of the dancers' heads as they move, never spilling a drop.

This is similar to the Binasuan dance from the Pangasinan Province which is done with drinking
glasses.
Tinikling: Birds Dancing Over Bamboo
Perhaps the best-known dance in Philippine folk dance history, the Tinikling mimics the high-
stepping strut of birds in the Philippine jungles over the bamboo traps the hunters would set for
them. Two dancers, usually male and female, gracefully step in and out of crossed sets of
bamboo poles being moved together and apart to the music.

The dance gets faster and faster as it goes on, and it has been an audience favorite for
Philippine dance companies touring the world. Tinikling illustrates the complexity and rhythmic
challenge of expressive and intricate Filipino folk dance forms.

LifeLifestyleActivitiesDance
Philippine Folk Dance History
By
Benna Crawford
PUBLISHED JANUARY 14, 2018
History of Philippine Folk Dance
Thinkstock
The history of Philippine folk dancing incorporates influences from immigrants and conquerors
while at the same time maintaining distinctly Filipino roots. Philippine folk dancing is a true
reflection of daily life in past centuries while enchanting modern audiences at the same time.

Folk Dance History in the Philippines

Folkloric dance is the history of the people in movement. In some cultures, pale fragments of it
survive centuries of invasions and diasporas. In the Philippines, folk dance is a strong and
enduring indigenous expression.

Pre-Colonial
Before the recorded history of the Philippines, before the Spanish conquistadors conquered and
Christianized the populace, from the earliest occupation of this volcanic archipelago, the people
danced. They danced to appease the gods, to curry favor from powerful spirits, to celebrate a
hunt or harvest, to mimic the exotic life forms around them. They danced their stories and their
shamanic rituals, their rites of passage and their remembered legends and history.

Rural dances include such favorites as the high-stepping Tinikling, which mimics a bird, and the
Gaway-Gaway, which features the movements of children pulling the stalks of the gaway roots
during a bountiful harvest. The pagan tribes, the Higaonon, Subanon, Bagogo, and others who
have inhabited the Philippines for thousands of years, preserved their customs and symbolic
dances. Partly through isolation, they kept their culture free from the influence of the waves of
immigrants who settled the archipelago over the centuries. Today, tribal dances like Dugso (a
dance of gratitude for a good harvest or a male heir, danced with ankle bells), Sohten(an all-
male war dance) and Lawin-Lawin(another male dance which mimics a swooping, soaring
eagle) are carefully documented and kept alive in performance by Filipino folk dance troupes
and cultural institutions, such as the Parangal Dance Company.
The Pagdiwata is a trance dance, featuring women dancers who enact a thanksgiving ritual at
the time of the harvest moon. The shamanic figures mime the spirits who possess them and
enact a drama that can last for hours.

Muslim Merchants
Muslim traders from the Malay Archipelago reached the Philippines in the 14th century, well
ahead of the Europeans. Thier conversion of the populace was a modest affair; they were more
interested in commerce than colonization, although they did establish strongholds and convert
the local populace to Islam. They also created their own folk dances in the areas where they
settled. Singkil is one of the most famous. It depicts the plight of a princess caught in a magical
earthquake in a forest. Her faithful servant tries to shield her with a parasol as the princess
gracefully dodges falling trees, and is eventually saved by a prince.

Spanish Colonization
Folk dances survived the European invasion, and the dancers adapted imposed Christian belief
and culture to their own dances, borrowing court choreography but imbuing it with Philippine
spirit. The Maria Clara dances merged Spanish court style (and its stylized courtship
conventions) with Philippine exuberance. Maria Clara is the pure and noble heroine of a novel
who represents the finest qualities of Filipino womanhood. The dancers wear European 16th-
century dress but move to the sounds of bamboo castanets.

Folkloric Fusion
The revered folk dances from the lowlands and the hill tribes persist in their traditional form and
in contemporary choreography for Philippine ballet companies. Dance is still the theater of
identity for the Filipino people, a vibrant and cherished way to tell their story forward with all the
rich history of their past.

The Beat Goes On

Traditional dance is still performed at celebrations of births and weddings. Modern folk dance
festivals still feature ancient dances performed in costumes of the tribal period of the
Philippines. If you are fortunate enough to attend a performance, you will hear percussion
instruments such as the gangsa (a small copper gong), a tobtob (brass gong) or a hibat (a gong
played with a soft wooden stick), accompanying dances such as the Palok and the Lumagen.
Many tribal dances use no external musicians; the dancers generate their own accompaniment
with stomping and hand clapping.

Idudu: A Snapshot of Ancient Culture

From the area of Abra, Cordillera comes the Idudu, which is a celebration of the family as the
fundamental building block of Philippine culture. Depicting a typical day in the life of a family, the
father is shown working in the fields while the mother cares for the children. As soon as the
father is done, the mother goes into the fields to continue the work while the father goes back to
the house to put the baby to sleep.

A singer usually provides a well-known lullaby during this part of the dance, and it emphasizes
the necessity of cooperation and mutual support in the Tingulan family structure.

Maglalatik: The Dance of War

A dance from before the conversion of the Philippines to Christianity is called the Maglalatik. It
represents a fierce battle between the Moro tribesmen (wearing red trousers) and the Christian
soldiers from Spain (wearing blue). Both groups wear harnesses with coconut shells attached
tightly to their bodies which are struck repeatedly with other shells held in the hands.

Originally from the Binan, Laguna province, it is now one of the most common dances in
Philippine folk dance performances.

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Pandanggo sa Ilaw: Grace and Balance
Derived from the Spanish word fandango, this dance is one of several designed to show off the
grace, balance, and dexterity of the performers. Three glasses of wine (or, in modern times,
water) are held in hands and on top of the dancers' heads as they move, never spilling a drop.

This is similar to the Binasuan dance from the Pangasinan Province which is done with drinking
glasses.

Tinikling: Birds Dancing Over Bamboo

Perhaps the best-known dance in Philippine folk dance history, the Tinikling mimics the high-
stepping strut of birds in the Philippine jungles over the bamboo traps the hunters would set for
them. Two dancers, usually male and female, gracefully step in and out of crossed sets of
bamboo poles being moved together and apart to the music.

The dance gets faster and faster as it goes on, and it has been an audience favorite for
Philippine dance companies touring the world. Tinikling illustrates the complexity and rhythmic
challenge of expressive and intricate Filipino folk dance forms.
More on Cultural Dances
A recent rebirth in interest for all folk and cultural dances has spurred many resources to appear
online. You can watch these folk dances on YouTube, read about the cultural history on
informational sites, and even learn some of the dances through instructional videos. Check out
some of these resources to further develop your knowledge of Philippine folk dancing:

Sayam Pilipinas: Plenty of information is available through this informational website, where the
dances are divided into categories and then explained with the help of pictures.
Cultural Center of the Philippines: This government-run site showcases Philippine arts and
features folk dance companies such as Bayanihan, the National Dance Company of the
Philippines, with performance dates and ticket prices.
Parangal: A Filipino dance company based out of San Francisco which brings the art of the
Philippines to American audiences.
ArtsBridge America: The way that dance and culture intertwine all around the world is explored
in this performance curriculum designed to teach about cultural dances of the world.
Ritwal: A DVD featuring several different types of Philippine folk dancing, this is a visual feast
for anyone interested in the genre.
Ancient to Modern Dance History
The history of dancing in the Philippines is a long and rich story that shows how intertwined the
dances are with daily life and important events. Learn a few of the dances in order to really
increase your understanding and appreciation of this dance genre; while the choreography may
seem difficult at first, a little focused study can go a long way.
Why Are Folk Dances Important?
Folk dance is an essential part of a culture. They teach the history, traditions and values of a
people. They also help preserve the culture and pass it on to future generations.

Folk dances are often done at special occasions like weddings, festivals and religious
ceremonies. They are a way for people to come together and celebrate their shared heritage.

A folk dance developed by people that reflects the life of the people of a certain region. Folk
dance is a great way to get active and have fun. It’s also a great way to learn about different
cultures and meet new people. There are all sorts of folk dances out there, so you’re sure to find
one that appeals to you.

If you’re interested in getting involved, your best bet is to do a quick online search for folk dance
groups in your area. Most communities have at least one group, and most groups are always
looking for new members. You can also find dance classes at local community centres or adult
education programs.
Folk dancing has many benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, weight loss, stress
relief, etc. It can also help reduce the risk of cancer, depression, and other chronic diseases.

-Primarily, it keeps a culture of people alive, by sharing and teaching younger generations the
dances.
-Dance keeps the history of people alive as well.

- Folk dances are important because they preserve the Philippine culture and pass it on to the
next generation.

-They are a uniting force to the Philippine people.

-Dances are ways a community celebrates a special event or important date in time.

-Participating in dance may allow the elderly to improve their physical function, health and well-
being.

-Folk dancing is an excellent form of stress relief.

-Folk Dance Benefit physical level, dancing can give you a great mind-body workout.

-Filipino folk dances are colorful, beautiful, and vibrant. Their movement, dress, and music
reveal the unique Filipino culture and are important in building a national Filipino identity.

-Another beneficial advantage is that they can significantly improve their aerobic capacity, lower
body muscle endurance, strength and flexibility, balance, agility and gait through the dancing.

Philippine Folkdance is important culturally because it shows diversity and uniqueness:

Considered intangible cultural heritage, while there has been a large change in performing the
folk dance. Lastly, most Filipinos are still aware of the Philippine Folkdance, which creates a
sense of pride among them.