Philippine

F olk
Dances
Contemporary Philippine arts from the regions

In the Philippines, dance is as diverse as the culture intermingling in the

archipelago. It encompasses all the dance forms that have been used
by the Filipinos through the centuries to express themselves. This
dazzling diversity of dances in different forms and dynamics grew out
of the times, situations, and experiences of the people and the
exposure to the varied cultures and traditions introduced by the
waves of colonial rule that have reached the Philippine shores.

Maglalatik
This dance depicts the fight
between the Moros and the
Christians over the 'latik'.
The 'latik' is the residue that is left after
the coconut milk has been cooked and
boiled. This dance is composed of a
four-part performance and the first two
performance of the dance is called as
the 'Palipasan' and the 'Baligtaran'.
Banga
The Banga or pot dance is a
performance of Kalinga of the
Mountain Province in the
Philippines. This dance
illustrates the languid grace of
a tribe. Heavy earthen pots,
as many as seven or eight at
a time, are balanced on the
heads of maidens.

Singkil Cariñosa An example of

a Maria Clara
Singkil is usually in the repertory of dance. In the original version, the dancers
most Filipino dance troupes. There used the Fan and handkerchief as the
are many interpretations of this dance. way to do the hide and seek movement,
Originally, in Singkil (Maranao word for in Bicol they used two handkerchiefs
"getting a leg or foot entangled in an holding the two corners of the
object") a solo female performer handkerchief and doing the
danced in and out of crisscrossed hide and seek movement as
bamboo poles, keeping time to the they point their foot
syncopation of the poles, at the same forward and their
time manipulating two fans (apir). hands go upward together
with their
handkerchiefs.

Tinikling According to historical accounts, the Tinikling dance

originated during the Spanish occupation in the Philippines—
particularly on the island of Leyte. Rice farmers on the Visayan Islands usually set up
bamboo traps to protect their fields, yet tikling birds dodged their traps. Locals imitated
the birds’ movement, and supposedly, that’s how this dramatic traditional folk dance was
born. Alongside the Cariñosa dance, the Tinikiling is considered a national dance in the
Philippines and almost every Filipino knows how to do it. Since it’s a
dramatic dance, it’s usually performed on special
occasions like traditional Filipino festivals or at school and
theater performances.

Binasuan This is a popular 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.