History, Characteristics, Classification, Genre of Philippine Folkdance

Fundamental Arms and Feet Position

History of Philippine Folkdance

Countries of the world have their own cultures made more colorful, beautiful, and
vibrant because of folk dances that reflect who they are and what they are. In the East,
the Chinese have their symbolical dragon dance; the Japanese have the ancestral dance
Bon Odori. In the West, the Americans have their Square Dance. The Scottish people
have their world-famous dances (Highland and Country Dance, Jig and Reel). On the
other hand, the Philippines will not be left behind!

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.

There is no recorded "start" to Philippine folk dance - as long as there have been
people on the islands they have been dancing. In fact, their mythology is filled with
many different gods and goddesses that needed to be placated, implored, or thanked
for various natural events like rain and harvests. Many of these festivals still feature
ancient folk dances performed in costume of the tribal period.

It is impossible to know when exactly dancing became a part of life in the Philippines.
Many traditional dances were designed to thank the gods for natural and agricultural
events, such as rain and harvests. The dances were performed during festivals and
remembrances of past military victories, and still are performed at celebrations of births
and weddings in modern times. Many modern folkdance festivals still feature ancient
dances performed in costume of the tribal period of the Philippines.

Philippine folkdance mirrors the culture and tradition of the Filipinos. It has also been a
source of culture identify of the people. In this diversified country, there are also great
diversity of dances in different forms and dynamics that grow out of various times,
situation, and experiences.
CHARCTERISTICS OF PHILIPPINE FOLK DANCE

1. As a rule, Philippine folk dances begin and end with a saludo.

2. In general, dancers are far apart. About 6-8 ft. from each other is normal.

3. There is very little, if any, body contact although holding hands is common.

4. Most of the dances are done in pairs and hand movements play a very important
role.

5. Many of the dances are done in long formation.

Classification of Philippine Dances:

a. According to Geographical extent of origin:

1. National Dances – found throughout the islands with little or no modification.

2. Local Dances – found in a certain locality.

b. According to Nature

1. Occupational – directing action of certain occupation, industry, or human labor.

2. Religious or ceremonial – performed in connection with religious vows and

ceremonies.

3. Comic Dances – directing funny movements for entertainment.

4. Game Dances – directing with play elements.

5. Wedding Dances – performed during wedding feast.

6. Courtship Dances – directing lovemaking.

7. Festival Dances – suitable for special occasion or any social gathering.

8. War Dance – showing imaginary combat or duel.

Five Major Genre of Philippine Folkdance

1. Cordillera Dances

2. Spanish Influenced Dances

3. Muslim Dances

4. Tribal Dances

5. Rural Dance

Philippine Costumes and Traditions

Bahag Pre-Colonial Period. Early Filipinos used bark or plain-woven fabric as material for
bahag. The bahag was wrapped around the waistline.

Camisa Chino 18th Century The camisa de chino is a collarless garment with long
cuffless sleeves, worn first by Indios who had to labor under tropical heat. The shirt cut
evokes its Chinese origins.

Barong Tagalog 19th Century The barong tagalong has become the national Filipino
costume for men, worn for all significant events.

Tapis Early Spanish Colonial Period The tapis was used first by tagalong women who
had to wrap a thicker material over skirts made of sheer fabric. It was usually worn with
the opening in front, and with colors that contrasted with the skirt.

Baro’t Saya Circa 17th Century The baro, a collarless blouse, was influenced by the
costume of statues by the Blessed Virgin brought by Spanish missionaries. The saya
was adapted from the basic lines of European skirt styles during the 1600s.

Maria Clara Late 19th Century.The Maria Clara, named after Jose Rizal’s heroine in Noli
Me Tangere, consists of the bell sleeved camisa, floor-length saya, the panuelo and the
tapis, or overskirt.

Balintawak 1930s The Balintawak consisted of a skirt, butterfly sleeves and a low-cut
bodice. Filipinas wore the ensemble during visits to the countryside, particularly
Antipolo, Rizal, a popular summer destination for Manila residents.
Terno Early 20th Century The Filipino “terno” evolved from the baro’t saya and the
Maria Clara, and pertains to the matching of blouse and skirt, forming a one-piece
creation made of a homogeneous material throughout.

Barong Tagalog Costume The Barong Tagalog, this is the official national costume of
Filipino men, originated from the northern part of the Philippines, and is originally made
of jusi or pineapple cloth called “pina” (woven from pineapple leaves). It is worn over a
Chinese collarless shirt called camisa de Chino. It exhibits the loose, long lines of its
Chinese sources, the airy tropical appearance of Indo-Malay costume, the elongated
effect of Hindu dressing, and the ornamental restraint of European men’s clothing.
Today, barong tagalong can come from different materials and different colors. It is
usually used for formal occasion and meetings.

Mestiza The Mestiza Dress is a formal dress made of expensive lace and fabric adorned
with embroideries. It is the sophisticated version of the national costume, the barot
saya (blouse and skirt). Made more popular by former Philippine First Lady Imelda
Marcos, some even called it Imelda dress or terno. Mestiza dress is known for its
elegance and butterfly sleeves. It is usually worn for formal occasion.

Maria Clara Costume The Maria Clara, this dress was named after a mestiza heroine of
one of the novels of the Philippine National hero Dr. Jose Rizal. Its origin was the
national costume of Filipino women which is barot (shirt) saya (skirt). The Maria Clara
gown features a floor-length paneled skirt of silk or satin and it consists of four
separate pieces: the collarless waist-length, bell sleeved camisa; the bubble-shaped,
floor-length saya; the stiff, neckcovering pañuelo; and the hip-hugging, knee length
tapis, or overskirt.

Rural Costume The Kimona, this dress originated from the Visayas, can be worn for
everyday activities as casual dress or for formal occasion. Its origin was the barot (shirt)
saya (skirt), the national costume for Filipino women during the early years. A casual
kimona dress is always worn with matching West Visayan wraparound called
"patadyong" as a skirt.

Cordillera Costume The Igorot, this attire is used by the tribes in Mountain Province of
The Cordillera ranges, called Igorots. They have their own unique costume that makes
them distinctive from other tribes in the Philippines. This costume reflects their way of
life, cultures, personalities, religious practices, and rituals. Igorot costume is very
simple. The men wear long strips of handwoven loin cloth called "wanes". The woman
wears a kind of wrap-around skirt called "lufid".
Muslim Costume This attire is worn by the Muslims who live in the southern part of the
Philippines. It features long skirts for the women, frequently woven with metallic
threads, and shorter, wrap-around skirts for the men. The women also frequently have
overskirts and scarves draped from the shoulder.

Batik design is also common with these costumes. It shows the mix of Arab, Malaysian
and Chinese. Elaborate umbrella makes a nice fashion statement, usually used by a
Muslim princess.

Malong, the malong is traditionally used as a garment by numerous tribes in the

Southern Philippines and the Sulu Archipelago. Its origin is from the ethnical group of
Maranao, Maguindanao and T‟boli located in Mindanao. Handwoven malongs are made
by the weavers on a backstrap loom. Very rare malong designs and styles can indicate
the village in which the malong was made. Handwoven malongs, which are costly-
made of cotton and silk, are likely to be used only at social functions, to display the
social and economic status of the wearer. But a malong in royal colors is worn only by
Maranao men and women of royal status. The malong can also function as a skirt for
both men and women, a dress, a blanket, a bedsheet, a hammock, a prayer mat, and
other purposes.

Tribal Costume The Philippine Tribal Costumes Although the Philippines has developed a
mixed culture from the blending of foreign influences with native elements, there are
still some ethnological groups whose culture remains unadulterated.

Blaan The Blaan are one of the indigenous peoples of Southern Mindanao in The
Philippines. They are famous for their brass works, beadwork and tnalak weave. The
people of these tribes wear colorful embroidered native costumes and beadwork
accessories. The women of these tribes, particularly, wear heavy brass belts with brass
tassels ending in tiny brass bells that herald their approach even when they are a long
way off.

Bagobo The Bagobo are proud people with proto-Malayan features. They have ornate
traditions in weaponry and other metal arts. They are noted for their skill in producing
brass articles through the ancient lost-wax process. These people also weave abaca
cloths of earth tones and make baskets that are trimmed with beads, fibers and horses
hair.

Tboli The Tboli distinguish themselves from other Tribal Groups by their colorful
clothes, bracelets and earrings, this tribe is famous for their complicated beadwork,
wonderful woven fabrics and beautiful brass ornaments.
Mandaya The Mandayas are a group of non-Christian tribe, non-Islamic people living in
Eastern Mindanao, Philippines They hand down from generation to generation the art of
weaving cloth from the fibers of abaca plant, colored with root and mud dyes with
intricate figures and patterns depicting the folklore and religion of the tribe.

Maranaw Typical Muslim Maranaw costumes (bottom-left photo). The attire of Maranaw
prince and princess. “Maranaw” means „people of the lake‟, referring to lands
surrounding Lake Lanao. Descending from Muslim Malays, the royal families within this
tribe are a mix of Arab, Malaysian and Chinese ancestry. They are famous for their
artwork, sophisticated weaving, wood and metal craft, and their epic literature.

Yakan Basilan is home to the Yakan Tribes, also known as one of the finest weavers in
Philippines. They are known to weave the most intricate designs in their clothes, purses
and other accessories.

Ifugao The Ifugao, immortalized by their magnificent rice terraces; inhabit the rugged
terrain of the extensive Cordillera Mountain Ranges of Central Luzon Ifugaos have
woven on looms and carved works of art from blocks of woods. The rice terraces is a
symbol of their industry that will live through the ages.

Kalinga The Kalinga are called the “peacocks of the north” because of their attention to
appearance and dressing. Kalinga is a landlocked province of northern Cordillera,
Philippines. “Kalinga” means enemy, a name that the bordering inhabitants called this
tribe because of their headhunting attacks. The name stuck and became accepted by
the natives themselves.

Gaddang o Gadang The Gaddang are an indigenous people from the area of Solano, in
the province of Nueva Vizcaya, in the region of Cagayan Valley also known as region II,
in the Philippine Islands. The Gaddang tribe was first discovered by the Spaniards in the
early 1600s. An early Spanish report written in 1581 identified them as one of ten tribes
in the mountains of Northern Luzon.

Bontoc They are the people who live in the mountainous areas of Benguet, Ifugao,
Mountain Province and KalingaApayao. The tribe’s traditional clothing leaves males and
females bare above the waist. But because of modern influence, younger members of
the tribe wear trousers, shirts, dresses and shoes that lowland Filipinos usually wear
samal.

Samal The Samal are the poorest and least independent of the major Muslim groups.
They serve as the "loyal commoners" in the hierarchy of Muslim minorities. Their lives
are literally over the sea, where the villages stand on stilts above the coastal waters.
Ibaloi The Ibaloi are the highlanders of Benguet and the city of Baguio. The Ibalois are
collectively known as“Igorot”. They traditionally live by cultivating rice and agriculture.

Aetas The Philippines‟ aboriginal inhabitants called the Aetas provided the pattern for
these rough cotton costumes. The Aetas or Negritos are nomads, scattered among the
isolated mountainous parts of central Luzon. They are thought to be the earliest
inhabitants of the Philippines.

Pulangiyen Living in the Pulangi River headwaters in the southern part of Bukidnon, the
Pulangiyen is one of the many indigenous natives of the province.

Matigsalug The Matigsalug are the Bukidnon groups who are found in the Tigwa-Salug
Valley in San Fernando, Bukidnon. “Matigsalug” is a term, which means “people along
the River Salug”. Their men wear short tightfitting pants that are of knee length and are
hem and turbans for the head decorated with beads and fringed with goat’s/horse’s
hair.