"Folk Dance"
The term folk dance describes dances that share some or all of the following attributes:
- They are dances performed at social functions by people with little or no professional training, often to traditional music or music based on traditional music.
- They are not designed for public performance or the stage, although traditional folkdances may be later arranged and set for stage performances.
- Their execution is dominated by an inherited tradition rather than by innovation (although like all folk traditions they do change over time)
- New dancers often learn informally by observing others and/or receiving help from others.
The term "folk dance" is sometimes applied to dances of historical
importance in European culture and history; typically originated before
20th century. For other cultures the terms "ethnic dance" or
"traditional dance" are sometimes used, although the latter terms may
encompass Ceremonial Dances.
There are a number of modern dances, such as hip hop dance, that
evolve spontaneously, but the term "folk dance" is generally not applied
to them, and the terms "street dance" or "vernacular dance" are used
instead. The term "folk dance" is reserved for dances which are to a
significant degree bound by tradition and originated in the times when
the distinction existed between the dances of "common folk" and the
dances of the "high society".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_dance
Philippine Folk Dance History
Filipino folk dance history is not the history of a single national dance of one or two regions. Dances evolved from different regions which are distinct from one another as they are affected by the religion and culture.
Filipino folk dance history is not the history of a single national dance of one or two regions. Dances evolved from different regions which are distinct from one another as they are affected by the religion and culture.
Types of Folk Dance
Cordillera Dances
Long before the Spaniards, the indigenous people in the mountainous regions had already their folk dances which reflect their worship, their celebrations, their wars and even their everyday lives. Scholars refer to them as mountain dances which consisted of different mountain tribes. When Spaniars came, they called them Igorots.
They dance to appease their ancestors and gods to cure ailments, to insure successful war-mating activities,or to ward off bad luck or natural calamities. They dance to congregate and socialize, for general welfare and recreation, and as an outlet for repressed feeling. They also dance to insure bountiful harvests, favorable weather, and to mark milestones in the cycle of life.So the dances evolve as they need them to express their feelings, their sadness and their anger.
Long before the Spaniards, the indigenous people in the mountainous regions had already their folk dances which reflect their worship, their celebrations, their wars and even their everyday lives. Scholars refer to them as mountain dances which consisted of different mountain tribes. When Spaniars came, they called them Igorots.
They dance to appease their ancestors and gods to cure ailments, to insure successful war-mating activities,or to ward off bad luck or natural calamities. They dance to congregate and socialize, for general welfare and recreation, and as an outlet for repressed feeling. They also dance to insure bountiful harvests, favorable weather, and to mark milestones in the cycle of life.So the dances evolve as they need them to express their feelings, their sadness and their anger.
Example:
Banga
Tribe: Kalinga
"Banga" literally mean pots.
The Banga or pot dance is a contemporary performance of Kalinga of the Mountain Province in the Philippines. This dance illustrate 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.Tribe: Kalinga
http://philippinesculturalfolkdances.blogspot.com/
Muslin 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 Ipat which was a dance to appease ancestral spirits. Before Islam, the Maguindanaons 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).Another is the dance baluang which creates the illusion of an angry monkey, and is always performed by male dancers. The popularity of this dance comes naturally, since the baluang, or monkey, enjoys an affectionate place in Asian folklore.
Example:
The dances in Muslim however predated the Muslim influence. Like Ipat which was a dance to appease ancestral spirits. Before Islam, the Maguindanaons 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).Another is the dance baluang which creates the illusion of an angry monkey, and is always performed by male dancers. The popularity of this dance comes naturally, since the baluang, or monkey, enjoys an affectionate place in Asian folklore.
Example:
Pangalay
Tribe: Badjao
A pangalay native to the
Badjao, sometimes known as the "Sea Gypsies." Pangalay is a dance that
emphasizes the agility of the upper body. The rhythmic bounce of the
shoulder with simultaneous alternating waving of arms are the basic
movement of this dance. The pangalay is commonly performed at weddings
and other social gatherings. You will also see some parts of the Sinkgil
in this dance also. Another part of this dance is also called the
Muslium four Bamboos
http://philippinesculturalfolkdances.blogspot.com/
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, rituals and sacrifices.
The only dance that is believed to have evolved during the Spanish colonization is the Talaingod dance which is performed to the beat of four drums by a female, portrays a virgin-mother bathing and cradling her newborn baby, named Liboangan. She supposedly had a dream, or pandamggo, that she was to bear such a child. This concept of a virgin-birth may have been derived from the Catholic faith.
Example:
Kadal Tahaw
Tribe: T'boli
Origin: Lake Sebu, South Cotabato
Tribe: T'boli
Origin: Lake Sebu, South Cotabato
A bird dance performed by the T'boli during planting
and harvesting which simulates the flights and hops of the tahaw bird.
http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/Cynthia/dances/tribal_dances.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8_kHpw9njA
Maria Clara Dances
The history of the Philippines is that of a country constantly melding its culture with that of outsiders, a narrative that is exemplified well by Filipino folk dance history. For example, the 300-year Spanish occupation of the Philippines profoundly influenced folk dancing. The ‘Maria Clara’ style of dance is named after a Spanish-style dress, and its performance includes Spanish footwork with Filipino modifications such as bamboo castanets and Asian fans. Contact with ancient Indian civilization is also evident through Indian-influenced dance, which thrives particularly in the South. Numerous other influences including Muslim and Indonesian can be found throughout the Philippines.
The coming of the Spaniards in the 16th century brought a new influence in Philippine life. A majority of the Filipinos were converted to Roman Catholicism. European cultural ideas spread and the Filipinos adapted and blended to meet the local conditions. These dances reached their 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. Maria Clara was the chief female character of Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere. Displaying a very strong Spanish influence, these dances were, nonetheless, "Filipinized" as evidence of the use of bamboo castanets and the abanico, or Asian fan. Typical attire for these dances are the formal Maria Clara dress and barong tagalog, an embroidered long-sleeve shirt made of pineapple fiber.
The history of the Philippines is that of a country constantly melding its culture with that of outsiders, a narrative that is exemplified well by Filipino folk dance history. For example, the 300-year Spanish occupation of the Philippines profoundly influenced folk dancing. The ‘Maria Clara’ style of dance is named after a Spanish-style dress, and its performance includes Spanish footwork with Filipino modifications such as bamboo castanets and Asian fans. Contact with ancient Indian civilization is also evident through Indian-influenced dance, which thrives particularly in the South. Numerous other influences including Muslim and Indonesian can be found throughout the Philippines.
The coming of the Spaniards in the 16th century brought a new influence in Philippine life. A majority of the Filipinos were converted to Roman Catholicism. European cultural ideas spread and the Filipinos adapted and blended to meet the local conditions. These dances reached their 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. Maria Clara was the chief female character of Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere. Displaying a very strong Spanish influence, these dances were, nonetheless, "Filipinized" as evidence of the use of bamboo castanets and the abanico, or Asian fan. Typical attire for these dances are the formal Maria Clara dress and barong tagalog, an embroidered long-sleeve shirt made of pineapple fiber.
Example:
A dance whose words are sung in "Chabacano-ermitense," a hybrid of Spanish that
was only spoken in the Ermita district before the turn of the century and today is
extinct. The dance itself is a flirtatious one that involves graceful use of the pañuelo,
or shawl, and tambourines. Aray means "ouch" in Tagalog.
http://pw1.netcom.com/~ntamayo/mariaclara.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWElfL96iQg
Rural and Barrio 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. They express a joy in work, a love for music, and pleasure in the simplicities of life. Typical attire in the Rural Suite include the colorful balintawak and patadyong skirts for the women, and camisa de chino and colored trousers for the men. The dances developed during the three hundred years of Spanish colonization.
A good example of rural or barrio dances is Sinulog. It is a ceremonial dance performed by the people of San Joaquin, Iloilo, during the feast of San Martin. It originated in a barrio of San Joaquin called Sinugbahan. It was believed that the image of San Martin was found at the edge of a beach, and that it could not be removed until the people dance the Sinulog.
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. They express a joy in work, a love for music, and pleasure in the simplicities of life. Typical attire in the Rural Suite include the colorful balintawak and patadyong skirts for the women, and camisa de chino and colored trousers for the men. The dances developed during the three hundred years of Spanish colonization.
A good example of rural or barrio dances is Sinulog. It is a ceremonial dance performed by the people of San Joaquin, Iloilo, during the feast of San Martin. It originated in a barrio of San Joaquin called Sinugbahan. It was believed that the image of San Martin was found at the edge of a beach, and that it could not be removed until the people dance the Sinulog.
Example:
Sinulog Festival
The Sinulog is an annual festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City, Philippines. The festival commemorates the Cebuano people's pagan origin, and their acceptance of Roman Catholicism.
The features a street parade with participants in bright coloured costumes dancing to the rhythm of drums, trumpets and native gongs.
Smaller versions of the festival are held in various parts of the
province, also to celebrate and honor the Santo Niño. There is also a
"Sinulog sa Kabataan" performed by the youths of Cebu a week before the
parade. Recently, the festival has been promoted as a tourist
attraction, with a contest featuring contingents from various parts of
the country. The Sinulog Contest is usually held in the Cebu City Sports Complex.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinulog_festival
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYsODZd-oG0
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http://filipinosongsatbp.blogspot.com/2007/12/philippine-folk-dance-history.html
