Posts Tagged ‘Ethnic Philippine Folk Dances’

Subli: Philippine Folk Dance that has Religious Underpinnings

Sunday, December 27th, 2009

In Banuan, Batangas there is one dance that’s gaining a lot of respect & research- it’s the ‘Subli‘ traditional dance.This dance is one of the most popular dance in the Philippines and the favorite in Batangas. This dance is purely traditional in nature and this is executed as homage to the Holy Cross. The Holy Cross is known by the locals as the ‘Mahal na Poong Santa Krus’, and the Holy Cross plays an important role in the development of the dance. In fact, the Holy Cross is considered at the center of the dance and without the Holy Cross the dance will not materialize.

The Holy Cross plays an important role and its role includes;

. It act as the emblematic and the decorative installations

. The presentations and the other art forms that are connected to this dance will typically revolve around the wooden cross that is draped with the white fabric and this is similar to the stole that is placed on the Holy Cross of Jesus Christ that can be seen during Easter Sunday celebrations.

Based on many literature on the subject, it was said that during the ancient times the natives who were living around the Taal Volcano area would usually plant these wooden crosses around the crater of the Taal Volcano and these natives would even immerse themselves in the waters of the crater just to ask the ‘Poon’ to save the them from the wraths of nature. Researchers and academics are still debating on the exact time this tradition started. Most are asking if this practice has started even before the Spaniards came or when the Spaniards were already here in the country. In the end, the academics cannot get on a definite ending.

There were some documents that say that that this dance or the tradition originated some three hundred years ago in the barrio called ‘Dingin’ in Alitagtag, Batangas. According to Dr. Elena Mirano, the word ’subli’ is from the old Tagalog word called ’sobli’ meaning ’salisi’ or the exchange of place. And this exchange of place is a prominent feature in the dance called ’subli’ that is performed in most activities, festivals and celebrations. In the strictest sense, the ’subli’ is the dance piece that is actually a commitment that is performed in honor of their patron, which is a huge anubing wood that consist of the face of the sun in silver at the center.

This icon which is the subject of this Philippine dance was actually discovered in the early stages of the Spanish rule and the area that is now known as the town of Alitagtag, Batangas. This icon is not only the patron for this town since this is also the patron of many towns in the area. The area is known for the long sequence of prayers which can be seen in verse, songs and dances and these are performed in the fixed sequence. The verses that are performed in the dance recounts the first journey of the manunubli of the early times as they thread the fields, the hills and the rivers in search of the miraculous cross.

The sections of the verse that are sung in the dance are sung by the participants to the fixed punto or the skeletal melody, and these are then elaborated in different ways by the many participating ’subli’ troupe. Around five of the punto are usually used in the usual ‘subli‘ performance. The puntos may be divided further into many parts and patterns and these many patterns will usually involve one, two or even eight pairs of men and women. This number of pairs is adopted since these are the numbers that are often practiced in Bauan. The dance is known for the stances, the gestures and the movements of the male dancers that are dramatic and free-wheeling.

Several of the remarkable movements of the male subli dancers are;

. Leaping

. Striking the ground with the use of the bamboo clappers that are held in both hands

. And other movements that imply the movements of the martial arts

Others see the ‘subli‘ as more than a Philippine folk dance, rather this is more of a ‘kaugalian’ that tells of the enduring belief and panata of the locals.

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Refined Movements and a Vivid Dance of Binasuan

Sunday, December 27th, 2009

About Binasuan and it’s dance steps

Philippine dances in the Philippines are known for its creativity, and one such dance in the country that shouts creativity is the Binasuan. This dance is a local dance rooted in the culture of the Pangasinense people- people from the northern Philippine province of Pangasinan. In this province, the term ‘binasuan‘ stands for something. In the local language, this word refers to the use of a drinking glass. With that in mind it can be easy to realize that the dance from this province is performed with the utilization of drinking glasses. To be more specific, this dance is popular and has its roots in Bayamabang, one of the towns in Pangasinan province.

What this dance demonstrates is elegant movements on the part of the dancer, balance and some amount of expertise. Dancing is done with three glasses that are half-full with water, with the first glass on top of her head and the two other glasses on both palms of the hand. Balance and skill is shown when the dancer maneuvers for a turn sit or roll without spilling the water or dropping any of the three glasses to the floor. The typical arrangement in this dance calls for one girl though there will be times when three or more are called upon to perform.

As with other Filipino dances, this Binasuan dance from Bayambang will call for a costume, the right count and music and the formation of the dancers just before the dance is started.

. Costume. In terms of costume, the dance calls for the Balintawak costume with the tapis and the pañuelo.

. Music. The music used in this dance is composed of two parts and then danced to the tune of Pitoy Oras.

. Count. Measure is essential and in this dance one, two or three to a measure is utilized.

. Formation. The dance begins with the dancer or the dancers enter the hall from one side of the room, stop at the center then face the viewers.

The Binasuan dance will start that way, with the dancers coming at one side of the room and then moving to the center hall and then facing the audience. While they are moving towards the center of the hall, the music A is played for the first time. Dancing this local dance of the north requires some steps that should not be take out of the program otherwise the program will lose its identity.

The following are the general steps on how to dance this local tradition.

. Dancers start with the right foot and she should take eight waltz steps forward to the center of the hall. The glasses must be held in front and the elbows must be close to the waist. The right hand must be moved next to the chest and down the hips alternately as the left hand moves down at the hip level and goes up to the chest level in an alternating method. The alternating movements of the two hands will go on for the next eight measures.

. Music A will then play for the second time and this will be the times when the dancer will dance sideward right and left alternately and doing this for eight times. The right hand will be raised to the head level and the left hand will be held to the waist as the dancer continues to waltz sideward to the right. The dancer will chance position with every measure. Again the movements of the left and the right hand will alternate upward and downward as with previous step.

. Music B of the list will then play and this will be the point when the dancer will begin on her right foot and she will take four waltz steps on a slope to the right. She then lifts up the right hand on a slope to head level with the left hand down to the hip for four counts. Hands once more shift upward and downward on alternating movements.

These movements are just the first half of the dance and a few more steps are required in order to complete the program. The Binasuan dance of the north will simply utilize the abovementioned steps and repeat these steps on the second half of the dance. At times, some new steps are introduced like the placing of weights at either the right or the left foot of the dancer, all with the intention of dancing gracefully without dropping the glass.

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Ethnic and Non-native Philippine Folk Dances

Sunday, December 27th, 2009

Countries all over the world have their own cultures made more colorful, beautiful and exciting because of folk dances that are a manifestation of who they are and what they are. In the East, the Chinese have their embolismic dragon dance; the Japanese have the familial 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 contrary, the Philippines will not be apart from others! 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. And there are several of these; namely, Binasuan, Subli, Itik-itik, Tinikling, Maglalatik, Cariñosa etc.

Binasuan is a native dance of Pangasinan. This dance literally means “dancing with glasses.” The steps are executed with glasses filled with rice wine balanced on the head and the hands of the dancers. Danced to show balance and to reflect rural gaiety, Binasuan is performed usually in wedding ceremonies and occasions in the barangay.

Subli owes its meaning to native words “subsub” meaning to fall with the head and “bali” or broken. This meaning is reflected in the dance steps. The dancers move feebly and tortuously as if without vigor. This dance, though, traces its roots to Batangas where it was initially played as a ritual dance that developed into a symbol of religious practice performed during town fiestas.

Itik-Itik is one of the Philippine folk dances which have an interesting origin. According to stories, a Filipina maiden-dancer of Surigao del Norte was asked to perform a native dance in one special occasion. She began to invent new steps and mimic the courtship movements of a local species of duck identified as “itik.” The spectators began to imitate her and that is how the dance came to be.

Tinikling is another Philippine folk dance that is inspired by an endemic bird called “tikling.” The steps of this dance are an imitation of the movements of a “tikling” bird that hops and escapes the traps set by hunters. Moving with poise and grace, the dancers skip in-between two bamboo poles that are held to pound rhythmically against each other. This dance is a specialty of Leyte.

Maglalatik is danced to mimic the early battle against Christians and Moros to win coconut meat or “latik” during the time of Spanish colonization. This is performed to give honor to the town saint of Biñan, Laguna – San Isidro Labrador. This dance is divided into four parts: baligtaran, palipasan, paseo and escaramusa. This is performed by all-male dancers who wear blue pants to represent the Christians and red pant for the Moros. All dancers, however, have coconut shells mounted on their body parts.

Pandanggo sa ilaw. The word ‘pandanggo’ is taken from the Spanish word ‘fandango’. The dance is characterized by the lively steps performed in conjunction with the clapping while the dancers are following the ¾ beat. Again, this dance calls for graceful balancing acts so that the lights held by the hand will not fall. This dance is originally from Oriental, Mindoro.

These above mentioned Philippine folk dances are ethnic in origin and nature. On the other hand, there are several Philippine folk dances that were influenced by some Western countries as some of these had colonized Philippines in the past. One such country is Spain. Several of the alleged “influenced” Philippine folk dances are as follows: Pandango sa Ilaw, Cariñosa, Balitao and Rigodon.

To conclude, these folk dances whether ethnic in origin or not reflect the lively culture that the Filipinos have. These dances may be diverse but through these cultural forms, the Filipinos are unified and proud by way of having Philippine folk dances that are truly one of the best in the world.

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