Nature of Folk Dance and

its Importance
Prepared by: Ms.Elaiza Jhel A. Cabaluna
Instructor
 Nature and Background of
Philippine Folk Dance
• The “Pearl of the
Orient” boasts of a variety
of Philippine folk
dances. The Filipinos
pay tributes and owe
itself to cultural heritage.
One way of showing such
love and respect for the
country gave birth to the
development of Philippine
ethnic folk dances.
 History
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 folk dance festivals still
feature ancient dances performed in costume of the tribal period of the
Philippines.
Philippine folk dance 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.
Importance of Folk dance.
Folk dances are important because they preserve the Philippine
culture and pass it on to the next generation. Folk dances are
culture in-action. We need to study and learn folk dances because it is
the way of preserving our culture and a way of passing the tradition
from one generation to another.
What is the importance of folk dance? Primarily, it keeps a culture of
people alive, by sharing and teaching younger generations the
dances. Dance keeps the history of people alive as well. Dances are
ways a community celebrates a special event or important date in time.

Participating in dance may allow the elderly to improve their physical

function, health and well-being. Another beneficial advantage is that
they can significantly improve their aerobic capacity, lower body muscle
endurance, strength and flexibility, balance, agility and gait through the
dancing