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POLKABAL: Philippine Folk Dance from Atimonan, Quezon This dance acquired its name from two well-known steps, polka and valse (waltz), corrupted into one word, polkabal, by the people of Atimonan, Tayabas, where it was found. Luksong Uak, Ensayo, Paseo, Contragansa, Punta y Tacon, Wagayway and Jardin are some of the lively steps and figures in this interesting discovery. In the original dance, the Paseo and the Ensayo are danced as intermission making it rather long and monotonous. These two steps are used as figures, not as interludes. Girls may wear any old-style costume (Maria Clara, serpentina, siete cuchillos, etc.). Boys wear barong tagalog with black trousers. HABANERA BOTOLEÑA: Philippine Folk Dance from Botolan, Zambales This is a very colorful, vivid, and gay dance from Botolan, Zambales. During the early days, this was performed in honor of a departing parish priest. In time, however, it lost that role and became more of a festival dance performed in wedding celebra...

LA JOTA CAGAYANA During the Spanish regime, the jota dances were among the most popular dances of in the Philippines. It is a gay and a lively dance. Undoubtedly, all the jota dances of the Philippines are adaptations from Spanish jotas as performed by the early Spanish settlers in the Philippines. The version here performed is the Ibanag version from the town of Enrile in Cagayan Province, northern Philippine. It is as interpreted by National Artist for Dance Ramon A. Obusan, and performed by the Indak Bambino Folkloric Group from Batangas. The dancers are wearing late 18th to early 19th century Philippine attires taken from the illustrations of famed “tipos del pais”artist Damian Domingo. The girl wears an early version of the modern-day Maria Clara ensemble matched with a Sunday veil, a tight-fitting “tapis” or overskirt, and a flat-topped “salakot”. The Boy wears a that era’s “barong tagalog” and a loose mid-calf reaching pants called the “saya-saya”, a neck scarf and a “tabungaw...

LAVEZARES This traditional dance came from the northwestern part of Samar. It is popular in the municipalities of Capul, Allen and Lavezares. It is also performed by the old folks of Calbayog. In fact, an excerpt from the Lavezares dance (the last ballroom figure) is the "Ti Yadut" of Calbayog. The dance is similar to a surtido because of the assorted folk and traditional dance steps like kuradang , pi'ang-pi'ang, paseo con cambio pareja and valse with patty-cake turns; which are strung to have the dance performed. The dance have been popularized by a an unidentified folk dance group from Calbayog City. Researchers of the Bayanihan came across the Lavezares dance in one of their researches in Samar in the late 1970's. The dance has, since then, became a part of their Spanish-influenced dance repertoire. The music that accompanies the dance is a lovely mix of favorite Waray melodies which are played in this order: (1) the Pandangyado which sounds like Cos...

BLIT-B'LAAN Courtship dance of the B'laan of Davao del Sur imitating forest birds during the mating season. All movements of the Blit-B'laan are done with the knees slightly bent. Figure 1. Male and female dancers move with a light springing of both feet in any direction. Maledancers eneter with a springing movement to chase the female dancers. Both male and female dancers stay in one place. The movements of the female dancers are centered on grooming and making themselves more attractive. The male dancers begin to move. Figure 2. Female dancers move to choose from among the the two male dancers that shows her preference for the white male dancer aversion towards the red male dancer. Al female dancers hop on their heels with one foot crossed slightly in front while males do the same thing but with their feet apart. Figure 3. Female dancers then move to rescue the white male dancer from two male dancers. Male dancers attack and outwit each other through flying kick...

BAGOBO The Bagobo are a tribe in Davao province on the island of Mindano. The dance is a demonstration of footwork with the music provided by a unique instrument called "tagungguan" which consists of a series of small gongs suspended by ropes from a triangular rack. The dancers wear bells around their legs. All movements of the Bagobo are done in any direction. Each figure maybe repeated a number of times. Figure 1. Step right and left foot forward, backward and sideward alternately. Each step is preceded by a stomp in place Figure 2. Stomp right foot twice then the left foot points forward with the body bend and the right shoulder leading. Figure 3. Stomp right foot twice to the back, raise left foot in front with slightly bent knees. Stomp right heel to make the ankle bell sound with left shoulder leading, bend the body forward. Figure 4. Stomp right foottwice to the back. Bend the kneeon the second stomp as the left foot is raised slightly. With the accelerating...

  MAGLANGKA This dance is also called "Panderetas de Amor". Panderetas means "tambourines" in Spanish. This dance portarays a heavy Spanish influence. Of the two available versions of this dance, this one is more Hispanic in execution. The dance is from Manila. Bayanihan researches in the early 1950s discovered this dance in the capital city and has been included in their Maria Clara Suite since then. The second version of the Panderetas is the Yuletide folk dance from Tanza, Ilo-ilo called "Las Panderetas". The music used in the later is a typical Visayan "daygon" similar to the pastores musics used in the pastores traditions in Bikol, Cebu, Leyte and Samar.

  “Pasigin” or “sabot” is a fishnet used by the Capiznon similar to the scoop net but not quite like the scissors and cast nets. All these nets are handy for shallow and quiet parts of the river. The pasigin’s ring shape makes it a special net for catching only specific fishes and crustaceans. In the hands of skilled fishermen a pasigin assures food for the family. A Filipino’s playful imagination, created the pasigin dance. Using the movements of excited fishermen scooping after schools of fish, intricate footwork and dexterous swishing, swashing, scooping, and sifting gave the pasigin dance that “chase and run” character. The pasigin would have been an ordinary and playful dance had it not been for a comic relief where at the end, the ring-net reveals a hole big enough for the fish to escape. How two people were able to collaborate to make fish and net become one of the country’s favorite dances is why we are extremely thankful to the late Petronila Suarez and the late Crisos...