banded rail (Gallirallus philippensis), and the

barred rail (Gallirallus torquatus).[2] The term

tinikling literally means "to perform it tickling- Tinikling
[3]
like."

The dance originated in Palo, Leyte, Island in

the Visayas.[4] It imitates the movement of the
tikling birds as they walk between grass
stems, run over tree branches, or dodge
bamboo traps set by rice farmers."[4] Dancers
imitate the tikling bird's legendary grace and
speed by skillfully manoeuvring between large A performance of
bamboo poles.[5] However, other known
stories also explain where this national dance
originated from. A more popular one is the
Tinikling by the
legend, without historical evidence, that says
the tinikling dance originated from Filipino
Philippine Cultural
field workers during the time of Spanish
colonization. It was a form of punishment for Dancers group
workers who worked too slowly in the large
haciendas the Spanish had. More specifically,
two spine-tipped bamboo poles were used to Genre folk
hit the feet of the field workers. Legend claims
that after a while, the workers trained dance
themselves to dodge the strikes of the
bamboo poles. What was once a way to avoid
punishment now became a form of art and Instrument(s) bambo
dance.[6]

Today tinikling is taught throughout the United

poles
States. In grades K-12 the dance is used as an
aerobic exercise for physical education Origin Philippines
classes, to help expand physical movements
such as hand coordination, foot speed, and
also rhythm. Tinikling is commonly performed
at schools and on special occasions, such as the Filipino Independence Day, as a celebration of
Filipino culture and Filipino pride.[7]