FOLK DANCE FEDERATION OF CALIFORNIA DANCE RESEARCH COMMITTEE: LET'S DANCE

Miriam L i d s t e r OCTOBER 1977

LUBI-LUBI
(Philippines)

L u b i - L u b i (LOO-bee LOO-bee) i s a v e r -v .p o.p u l a r b a l l r o o m f o l k dance t h a t had i t s e a r l v o r i a i n i n t hIe

p r o v i n c e s o f L e y t e and ~ a m a r . " L u b i " means coconut. T h i s dance, a c c o r d i n g t o ~ e r n a r d o7. Pedere,
d e r i v e d i t s name f r o m t h e song t h e dancers and s p e c t a t o r s c u s t o m a r i l y s i n g d u r i n g t h e performance o f
t h e dance. I t s mass appeal i s so widespread t h a t many v a r i a t i o n s have evolved. T h i s v e r s i o n was
choreographed b y Bernardo T. Pedere f r o m t h e common s t e p s which he l e a r n e d f r o m t h e o l d people i n t h e
town o f Burauen, p r o v i n c e o f Leyte. The dance i s u s u a l l y performed by one o r more couples who a r e
s c a t t e r e d i n f o r m a l l y around t h e room. However, t h i s v e r s i o n , as i t was p r e s e n t e d by M r . Pedere a t
t h e 1977 U n i v e r s i t y o f t h e P a c i f i c F o l k Dance Camp, has t h e f i g u r e s so arranged t h a t i t i s danced as
a s o c i a l m i x e r . Any P h i l i p p i n e costume may be worn.
N
0
should be 3/4 meter
MUSIC: Record: Mico Mx-516-B (45 rpm). 413 meter.
Piano: F r a n c i s c a Reyes-Tolentino, P h i l i p p i n e N a t i o n a l Dances, pg, 161, S i l v e r Bur-
d e t t , New York, Chicago, San F r a n c i s c o , 1946.

FORMATION: C i r c l e o f c p l s i n c l o s e d ( b a l l r o o m ) p o s i t i o n . M f a c e CCW, W CW (W back t o LOD)

The dance moves CCW and may be danced by any number o f c p l s .

STEPS and N a t i v e Waltz: Step fwd on R ( c t 1 ) ; s t e p on L c l o s e t o R ( c t 2 ) ; s t e p fwd on R ( c t

STYLING: 3 ) . Step a l t e r n a t e s ; may be danced i n any d i r e c t i o n . S i m i l a r t o a two-step i n
w a l t z meter.
Waltz (see Steps & S t y l i n g , F o l k Dance F e d e r a t i o n o f C a l i f o r n i a , I n c . )
Sway Balance w i t h a r a i s e : ( 2 meas) Step on R d i a g fwd R ( c t 1 ) ; b r i n g L l e g across
from L t o R i n a s m a l l s e m i - c i r c l e keeping f t c l o s e t o f l o o r ( c t 2 ) ; s t e p on L across
i n f r o n t o f R ( c t 3 ) . Step on R d i a g bkwd R, bending body s l i g h t l y fwd ( c t 1 ) ; l i f t
L knee i n f r o n t w i t h t o e s p o i n t e d downward and h o l d pos w h i l e g r a d u a l l y s t r a i g h t e n i n g
body ( c t s 2, 3 ) . Arms b e g i n down a t s i d e s and move smoothly, palms down, upward t o
c t r f r o n t ( a b o u t w a i s t l e v e l ) and outward t o open pos d i a g a t s i d e s , g r a d u a l l y b r i n g -
i n g hands t o c h e s t l e v e l , palms up ( c t s 1, 2, 3, meas 1 ) . R arm moves s l i g h t l y o u t -
ward.-and _upward i n a c u r v e b r i n g i n g R hand t o an overhead pqs w h , e~ t h e L arm moves
acrosS i n r r o n t o f t h e body t o f i n i s h about w a i s t l e v e l ( c t s ' 7 , 2-;jr3, meas 2 ) . The
arm-hand movements s h o u l d f l o w . The s t e p may be r e p e a t e d t o L by b r i n g i n g hands t o
f r o n t c t r (chest l e v e l ) ( c t &).

MUSIC 314 PATTERN

Measures

2 meas INTRODUCTION Assume c l o s e d b a l l r o o m pos.

I. NATIVE WALTZ FWD and WALTZ TURN

Dancers move s l i g h t l y from s i d e t o s i d e w h i l e t r a v e l l i n g fwd i n c l o s e d ( b a l l r o o m )

pos.

Beg M R, W L, move i n LOD w i t h 4 " n a t i v e w a l t z " s t e p s . M moves fwd, W bkwd.

Beg M R, W L, dance 4 " w a l t z " s t e p s CW, s l o w l y moving fwd t o f i n i s h w i t h M back t o

LOD. A 1 1 1 2 t u r n i s made so t h a t M i s f a c i n g RLOD.

Repeat a c t i o n o f meas 1-4 w i t h W moving fwd (LOD). M bkwd. Release b a l l r o o m pos

( C t &, meas 12).

11. SWAY BALANCE WITH A RAISE and M WALTZ AROUND

A 1-8 Beg M-W R, dance 4 "Sway Balance w i t h a Raise" s t e p s . R and L a1 t e r n a t e l y . R and L

arm h i g h a l t e r n a t e l y .

9-12 i." ' M: Beg R, move fwd w i t h " N a t i v e Waltz" s t e p s ( p a s s i n g R s h l d r w i t h p t r ) CW around

p t r t o f i n i s h i n f r o n t o f n e x t W (new p t r ) . M f i n i s h e s f a c i n g LOD. Knuckles
o f f i s t s p l a c e d on h i p s j u s t below w a i s t . Assume c l o s e d b a l l r o o m pos w i t h new
p t r on c t 3, meas 12.
0 W: Beg R, dance 2 w a l t z s t e p s i n p l a c e (R, L ) . Beg on c t 1, meas 11, t u r n 112 CW
w i t h 2 w a l t z s t e p s t o f a c e new p t r . Clap hands o u t a s h l d r l e v e l t o t h e same
L u b i - L u b i ( c o n ' t ) - page 2

s i d e as l e a d i n g ft. Assume c l o s e d ( b a l l r o o m ) pos w i t h new p t r on c t 3, meas 12.

111. NATIVE WALTZ FWD, WALTZ TURN

B 1-12 Repeat a c t i o n o f F i g I,meas 1-12.

13-16 Release b a l l r o o m h o l d . Beg R, dance 4 "Waltz" s t e p s sdwd R and L a l t e r n a t e l y . M

knuckles on h i p s j u s t below w a i s t , W h o l d s k i r t s .

I V . SWAY BALANCE WITH A RAISE, WALTZ AROUND

Repeat a c t i o n o f F i g I 1 meas 1-12. m
7

Repeat a c t i o n o f F i g 111, meas 13-16 w i t h new p t r .

F i n i s h dance a f t e r two r e p e a t s w i t h bow t o p t r . M bends fwd s l i g h t l y f r o m h i p s w i t h
f t t o g e t h e r , knuckles o f f i s t s on h i p s ; W h o l d s s k i r t and bows s l i g h t l y from h i p s
w i t h f t together.

NOTE: M begins each p a t t e r n w i t h R ft. W, when dancing w i t h p t r b e g i n s L ft;

when dancing a l o n e she b e g i n s R ft.

-=- --- ~ ~ - -.- -- .- -~

R aa,
a, E X X