Value and Importance of Philippine Folk dance

        Folk arts, specifically folk music and dance, embody fundamental values of great
worth to our culture, our nation, and our children. There is no better way to share time
together as families and friends. Our job is to preserve the joyful tunes we've inherited
from our ancestors and to pass them on to others. A group called Colerain Connection
is quite dedicated to the dissemination and preservation of traditional folk arts. It is very
important to see musical artists performing on instruments they have hand crafted, or
playing vibrant melodies from their grandfather's fiddle. This group is all about
preserving history and tradition.

Value
Philippine folk dance helps keep the people connected to their ancestry and their
traditions. Folk dance helps to preserve the cultural unity of the people

Importance
People think folk dances are important because they help keep a culture alive.  People
have been doing folk dances for hundreds of years, and there is value keeping that
tradition alive.

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. 

Culture is the ideas, customs and social behavior of a particular society. Folk art forms
are the methods through which these ideas and customs are kept alive. It is also the
method through which the children become a part of that culture by inculcating those
ideas and customs, through songs and dance.

Folk Dances should not be practiced just for the sake of safeguarding our rich cultural
heritage. Folk Dance is not just reminiscence of the past. But acts as a passage
connecting the past and the future. So what exactly does this passage pass on from the
past to the future? Through this passage we pass on ideas, values and knowledge
which was experienced and gained by our ancestors.

More importantly the ebb and flow of life is better understood with these art forms. For
example in Mahabharatha, which is the main theme of Yakshagana, each character
depicts different aspects of life. The plethora of personalities’ one sees in life is the
same as the different characters we find in Mahabharatha. Yakshagana thus gives the
young mind an insight into what to expect of life and of different people whom one
comes across. This over a period of times equips the child of how to deal with the
various challenges one faces in life.

Today we see a huge upsurge in the number of suicides amongst the younger
populations. Why is this happening? It is not because the young mind does not have
solutions to the problems. It is because there is a huge gap between the expectations
and realities of life. Folk art forms gives the realities of life in its bare form. For example,
in real life one might get the short end of the stick by following a virtuous path. But in the
long run he will definitely see the benefits. This can be seen in the case of Dharmaraya
or Pandavas as a whole. But the present generation does not have the patience to wait
for a long time. Results should be seen immediately. If it takes time, they get frustrated.
A young individual practicing such art forms will be more realistic and will patiently wait
for her/his turn.

In this digital era, people mainly interact with each other on a digital platform. Especially
the younger lot are not too comfortable meeting strangers face to face. They are short
on confidence and self-esteem. This is very clearly seen in their body language. They
cannot even address a small crowd. Art forms like these give young people the
confidence. Stage performance will help them shed all their inhibitions. Moving them
towards being a complete human being.

1. It’s fun. Folk dancing usually doesn’t require years and years of training to
do it proficiently. You can usually do it for many years (even into your senior
years). Also, it can be a great social activity with other dance enthusiasts.
2. Folk dancing preserves culture and history. Without getting into dance
anthropology (a book in itself), know that the terrain, local history, local cuisine,
and even local religions can contribute to folk dancing in different regions. Most
often folk dance classes will also include a recitation of the dance’s
history/origins. It’s an excellent way to pass down traditions and remember
where we all came from!
As the world advances on every front, folk dances, folk music, folk art, folk stories, are
all important, even vital, toward keeping various cultures alive. We need to have a way
for each generation of young persons to get in touch with their own roots as well as to
learn about the roots of others. This is part of what advances understanding and
acceptance between races, creeds, and cultures and helps us to advance the human
race into a place of greater exchange of love, acceptance and peace.