Physical Education

& Health
(GRADE 12)

MODULE 1:

Introduction to
Folk Dance
 Folk dances are connected to everything essential to our everyday lives,
including customs, rituals, and occupations of specific communities of people. The
majority of these dances reflect religious basis and are influenced by emotions,
superstitions, festivals, birth, courtship, marriage, death, war, and a variety of other
universal themes.

FOLK DANCES IN THE PHILIPPINES

▪ The history of Philippine folk dancing incorporates immigrant and conquered

influences while preserving its uniquely Filipino roots. While enthralling modern
audiences at the same time, Philippine folk dancing is a true representation of
daily life in earlier ages.

▪ It is impossible to determine the precise time when dance became a part of life
in Philippine society. Many traditional dances were created to express gratitude
to the gods for agrarian and natural events like rain and harvests. The dances
were done during festivals and commemorations of former military victories, and
they are still performed today at weddings and birth celebrations.

▪ Philippine folk dance is a reflection of Filipino culture and heritage. It has also
served as a source of the people’s cultural identity. The variety of dances in this
diverse nation, take on numerous forms and dynamics and are influenced by a
variety of historical periods, social contexts, and experiences.

FAMOUS FOLK DANCES IN THE PHILIPPINES

1. TINIKLING
Tinikling is perhaps the most popular folk dance in the Philippines, where its
roots originate from the province of Leyte. The traditional dance usually involves
a pair of two bamboo poles. This dance was created by imitating body
movements seen in a bird called Tikling, and hence has aptly been named
Tinikling. The tikling birds avoided the bamboo traps that the rice farmers
typically set up to guard their fields against predators. Locals are said to have
created this dramatic traditional folk dance by mimicking the movements of the
tikling birds.
2. CARIÑOSA
Carinosa dance is a South East Asian dance style from the Philippines.
Carinosa in english literally means ‘Loving or affectionate one’. This ‘romantic’
Philippines dance originated in the Panay island in the colonial-era from the
Maria Clara suite of Philippine folk dances and is supposed to be heavily
influenced by Hispanic culture. A fan or a handkerchief plays an important role
in this dance form.

3. PANDANGGO SA ILAW
Pandanggo sa Ilaw is a Philippine Folk Dance that was derived from the
“Fandango”, a Spanish Folk Dance. It simulates fireflies at dusk or dawn light and
flight. It portrays a young man’s courtship of a maiden who caught his interest.
The dance is performed with three oil lamps that a dancer has to balance. One
on the head and one on the back of each hand.

4. BINASUAN
Binasuan is a folk dance from Pangasinan where the dancers balance drinking
glasses on their heads and hands, similar to Pandanggo sa Ilaw. Binasuan is
among the most challenging Philippine folk dances because the drinking
glasses are filled with rice wine. The dance is typically performed at weddings
 and festivals, sometimes as a competition between dancers who can balance the
rice wine-filled glasses.

5. SAYAW SA BANGKO
Sayaw sa Bangko (“dance on a bench”) is a folk dance from the Pangasinan
province of the Philippines. Performers dance on top of a bench that is normally
six inches wide. It is performed by a couple on a narrow bench, inching and
hopping from one end to another. Dancers show skill in staying up on the bench
as they exchange places by moving their way around or the girl thrown in the air
while the boy moves to the other end.

6. KURATSA
The Kuratsa is described as a courtship dance and is often performed at
weddings and other social occasions. Kuratsa is another courtship folk dance
from Samar Island that imitates a rooster’s mating movements with a hen. Kuratsa
has three parts: the first part is a waltz between a male and female dancer, the
second part is when the male dancer pursues the female dancer in a chase, and
 the last part is when the male dancer finally wins over the female dancer with his
dance.

7. MAGLALATIK
Maglalatik is a folk dance that only includes male dancers with coconut shell
halves secured onto the dancers’ vests. Originally performed in Binan, Laguna
as a mock-war dance that demonstrates a fight between the Moros and the
Christians over the prized latik or coconut meat during the Spanish rule, this
dance is also shown to pay tribute to the town’s patron saint, San Isidro Labrador.

8. ITIK-ITIK
Itik-itik, which translates to “duck,” imitates the movements of the itik species,
such as how they walk, fly and splash water. The folk dance comes from Surigao
del Sur. According to the tale of its origins, a young woman who was considered
the best dancer in the region performed Itik-itik during a baptismal ceremony.
The ceremony guests were entertained by her steps; they copied her
movements and have since passed them along.
9. SINGKIL
Singkil is a folk dance of the Philippines that has its origins in the Maranao
people of Lake Lanao. The dance is derived from the sounds of the bell ankles
worn by the Princess as she leaps in and out of the crisscrossed bamboo poles.

10. SUBLI
Subli is a folk dance from Bauan, Batangas, performed for the Holy Cross of
Alitagtag, the patron of the Municipality of Alitagtag. The religious folk dance is
performed by experienced male and female dancers who hop and slide, where
the male dancers beat their castanets, and the female dancers sway in a circle
while holding their brimmed hats.
FUNDAMENTAL DANCE POSITIONS

POSITION FEET ARMS

1st Position Heels close together; Both raised forward in a
toes apart with an angle circle in front of chest with
of about 45 degrees the fingertips about an
inch apart
2nd Position Astride sideward about a Both sideward with
pace or I foot distance graceful curve at
shoulder level
3rd Position Heel of one foot close to One arm raised sideward
in-step of other foot as in 2nd position; other
arm raised upward
4th Position One foot in front of the One arm raised in front as
other of a pace distance 1st position; other arm
raised upward
5th Position Heel of front foot close to Both arms raised over
big toe or rear foot head

COMMON DANCE TERMS

▪ Arms in Lateral Position - both arms are at one side, either sideward right or
left. This may be done at shoulder, chest, or waist level.
▪ Brush - weight on one foot, hit the floor with the ball or heel of the other foot
(the free foot) after which that foot is lifted from the floor to any direction.
▪ Cut - to quickly displace one foot with the other, thus completely taking off the
weight of the body from the displaced foot.
▪ Hands on Waist - place hands at the waistline.
▪ Hayon-Hayon - to place one forearm in front and the other at the back of the
waist.
▪ Hop - a spring from one foot landing on the same foot in place or in any
direction. The other foot may be raised in any direction (in front, in rear, sideward
or across).
▪ Jump - spring on one foot or both feet, landing on both in any direction.
▪ Kumintang - moving the hand from the wrist either in a clockwise or
counterclockwise direction.
▪ Pivot - to turn with the ball, heel, or whole foot, on a fixed place or point.
▪ Point - touch the floor lightly with the toes of one foot, weight of the body on the
other foot.
▪ Salok - to swing the arm downward-upward passing in front of the body as if
scooping, the trunk is bent forward following the movement of the arm doing
the “salok”.
▪ Sarok– cross the R (or L) foot in front of the L (or R), bend the body slightly
forward and cross the hands (forearms) down in front with the R (or L) hand
 (forearm) over the L (or R). This is a Visayan term. with or without
transfer of weight.
▪ Slide - to glide foot smoothly along the floor. The movement may be finished
▪ Stamp - to bring down the foot forcibly and noisily on the floor (like doing a
heavy step) with or without transfer of weight.
▪ Step - to advance or recede by raising or moving one foot to another resting
place. There is a complete transfer of weight from one to another
▪ Tap – to tap slightly with the ball of the free foot, flexing the ankle joint keeping
weight of the body on the other foot. There is not change or transfer of weight.
▪ Whirl – to make fast turns by executing small steps in place to right or left.

COMMON DANCE STEPS

▪ Polka Series ➢ With a waltz

➢ Plain Polka ➢ With a hop
➢ Hop Polka ➢ With a brush
➢ Heel & Toe Polka ➢ Double sway balance

▪ Waltz ▪ Bleking Step

➢ Waltz balance ▪ Contra-Ganza
▪ Mazurka
▪ Sway Balance Series ▪ Redoba
➢ With a point