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Physical Education
Quarter 3 - Module 2
Philippine Folk Dance
Introductory Message
This Self-Learning Module (SLM) is prepared so that you, dear learners, can
continue your studies and learn while at home. Activities, questions, directions,
exercises, and discussions are carefully stated for you to understand each
lesson.
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provided to our facilitators and parents for strategies and reminders on how they
can best help you on your home-based learning.
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Read the instructions carefully before performing each task.
If you have any questions in using this SLM or any difficulty in answering the
tasks in this module, do not hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator.
Thank you.
Philippine Folk Dance
The Philippines has many popular folk dances which have evolved and
changed as they have been passed down from generation to generation. Although
a particular dance might be performed slightly differently from one region to the
next, it remains true to its roots. Here are some of the most popular dances from
the region.
LUZON
Binasuan - A folk dance that originated in
Bayambang, Pangasinan. The word “binasuan”
means “with the use of drinking glasses.” The
dancers balance glasses on their heads and in
their hands as they move. The glasses are filled
with rice wine, which makes any misstep a messy
mistake. People dance binasuan at weddings and
festivals. A group of dancers generally performs
performs binasuan, moving in unison, but occasionally breaking into smaller groups
and performing different choreography. For example, they can begin in a circle, then
form two columns, which then bend into semicircles, and one follows the other to
reform the circle. The music is in three-quarter time.
Maglalatik - Originally performed in Binan,
Laguna as a mock-war dance that demonstrates
a fight between the Moros and the Christians
over the prized latik or coconut meat during the
Spanish rule, this dance is also shown to pay
tribute to the town’s patron saint, San Isidro
Labrador. It has a four-part performance such as
the palipasan and the baligtaran showing the
intense battle, the paseo and the escaramusa-the
reconciliation. Moro dancers wear red trou-
sers while the Christian dancers show up in blue. All dancers are male; with
harnesses of coconut shells attached on their chests, backs, thighs and hips.
Pandanggo sa Ilaw - A very popular folk dance
in the Philippines. It is said to have originated
from Mindoro, the seventh-largest island in the
Philippines. This dance of lights simulates
fireflies at dusk and at night.
The word pandanggo is from the Spanish
fandango, a dance in 34 time. The phrase sa ilaw
is Tagalog for “in light” and it refers to the three
oil lamps that a dancer has to balance — one on
the head and one on the back each hand. The oil
lamp is called tinghoy. Sometimes, candles in
glasses are used instead of an oil lamp.
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Sayaw sa Bangko - (“dance on a bench”) is a
folk dance from the Pangasinan province of the
Philippines. It is performed by a couple on a
narrow bench, inching and hopping from one end
to another. Dancer show skill in staying up the
bench as they exchange places by moving their
way around or the girl thrown in the air while the
boy moves to the other end. They do not
compete but rather complement each other so
that no one falls. It is usually performed during
town fiestas.
Subli - originated some three hundred years ago
in the barrio of Dingin, Alitagtag, Batangas.
According to a research made by Dr. Elena
Mirano, the word "subli" came from the old
Tagalog word "sobli" meaning "salisi" or
"exchange of place". Subli is the dance portion of
a devotion performed in honor of the Mahal ng
Poong Santa Cruz.
VISAYAS
Cariñosa - (meaning the loving or affectionate
one) is a Philippine dance of Hispanic origin from
the Maria Clara suite of Philippine folk dances,
where the fan or handkerchief plays an
instrumental role as it places the couple in
romance scenario. This dance is the courtship
between two sweethearts.
The dance originated in Panay Island in
the Visayan Islands and was introduced by the
Spaniards during their colonization of the
Philippines. It is related to some of the Spanish dances like the bolero and the
Mexican dance Jarabe Tapatio or the Mexican Hat Dance.
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Kuratsa - Kuratsa is one of the traditional dances
in Leyte and Samar province. It is widely danced
especially during fiesta, family reunions, and
weddings.
It is referred to as a courtship dance
where dancers imitate courtship movements of
rooster and a hen in a creative way. It is highly
favored by the Visayan people especially the
Waray people of the Eastern Visayan region in
the Philippines. Strictly speaking, the Kuratsa
must be done the amenudo-way; that is, only
one couple dances it at a time. Believed to be a
a Mexican import (supposedly from La Cucaracha dance typical to Monterrey region
of Mexico)- the Kuratsa is however, very different in the manner of execution to the
Mexican counterpart. Even the "basic" Kuratsa music is not based on Mexican or
even Spanish melodies but just bolero-inspired lilting music. A very interesting dance
caught up the eyes of the beholder.
Philippine dance researchers, however, point either to the Kigal and the Bikal
as the 'ascendant' of the Kuratsa. The Kigal (spelled "Quigal" in early Spanish
writings on Samar culture and lifeways) is a sort battle-of-sexes couple dance that
imitate mating birds. The Kigal is in fact called by another name: Binanug or Kiglun
(Kigalun) according to a 17th century Samarnon dictionary by Jesuit missionary to
Samar, Fr. Alcazar. It is interesting that banug is the Waray word for the 'hawk'.
Tinikling - The dance's movements imitate the
movement of the tikling bird as it walks around
through tall grass and between tree branches.
People perform the dance using bamboo poles.
The dance is composed of three basic steps
which include singles, doubles and hops. It looks
similar to playing jump rope, except that the
dancers perform the steps around and between
the bamboo poles, and the dance becomes
faster until someone makes a mistake and the
next set of dancers takes a turn. The dance
originated in Leyte among the Visayan islands in
the central Philippines as an imitation of the
Visayan islands in the central Philippines as an imitation of the tikling bird dodging
bamboo traps set by rice farmers.
MINDANAO
Itik-Itik - A Filipino folk dance that mimics the
movement of a duck (Itik) as it walks with short,
choppy steps and splashes water on its back. It
originated in Surigao del Norte. A tale says that a
young woman named Kanang, the best dancer in
the province, was asked to perform during a
baptism reception. While she performed, she
became so eager and enthusiastic that she
started improvising her steps similar to those of a
duck. The people liked the dance so much that
they started to imitate her. Since then, Itik-Itik
has been performed during various events and
celebrations.
Singkil - originated from the Maranao people
who inhabit the shores of Lake Lanao. It is
derived from a story in the Darangen, the
Maranao interpretation of the ancient Indian epic,
the Ramayana. The name of the dance itself
means "to entangle the feet with disturbing
objects such as vines or anything in your path". It
is a popular dance performed during celebrations
and other festive entertainment. Originally only
women, particularly royalty, danced Singkil,
which serves as either a conscious or
unconscious advertisement to their potential
suitors. A kulintang and agung ensemble always
accompanies the dance. While often erroneously
referred to by non-Maranaos as a "Muslim
dance", the Singkíl is in fact secular in nature,
performed by the Ummah communities of the
Maranao and Maguindanao. Initially, the dance
was performed with just one pair of bamboo
poles, eventually adopting the use of two criss-
crossing pairs.
