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Culture Night Dances
Mantones de Seda (Maria Clara Suite)
The Mantones de Seda is a Spanish jota influenced by Filipino culture. The
dance shows the many ways of using the Mantones de Manila or Manton, an
intricately embroidered Spanish silk shawl worn on festive occasions by
Spanish senoritas. In the Mantones de Seda, rhythms are accentuated by the
Castilian stamping heels and bamboo castanets. It is danced to the Banduya
guitar with a light festive air.
Bumayah (Mountain Suite)
Thanksgiving festivals are one of many occasions for tribal celebrations.
The movements in this dance of the Ifugao tribe, imitating those of a
rooster scratching the ground, symbolize a thanksgiving prayer to the god
Kabunian for a bountiful harvest of rice. Both men and women express their
joy in this thanksgiving.
Takirin (Mountain Suite)
The Bontoc tribe performs flirtation-type moves with five or more male dancers doing a courtship dance. The dancers make a circular pattern while dancing with a piece of cloth. They use the cloth as a way to be flirtatious with the women.
Tinikling (Rural Suite)
Honored as the Philippine national dance, Tinikling is a favorite in the
Visayan islands, especially on the island of Leyte. The dance 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. Dancers imitate
the tikling bird's legendary grace and speed by skillfully maneuvering
between large bamboo poles.
Source: Noel's Pilipino Filipino Dance Glossary
Sayaw Sa Bangko (Rural Suite)
Sayaw Sa Bangko is a dance native to the barrio of Pangapisan, Lingayen,
Pangasinan, and demands skill from its performers who must dance on top of a
bench roughly six inches wide.
Source: Noel's Pilipino Folkdance Glossary
Bagobo (Tribal Suite)
Bagobo is a tribe from Mindanao. They are profoundly religious people whose
daily life is ruled by rituals. The Babobos are often considered one of the
best dressed of the Philippine tribes. The bagobo festival dance uses the
sound of bells to add to the rhythm of the dancers as they stamp their feet
while dancing.
Dugso (Tribal Suite)
As a sacrifice dance rite, the dugso overlaps as a thanksgiving of a good
harvest, healing of the sick, and the overall well-being of the community.
As a supplication of the divine deities, it also dispels malevolent spirits
while assuring sustenance, victory in battle, and the blessing of a newly
opened field. The close association with the pagpagayok bird is
representative of the colorful headdress and the bells around the ankle is
regarded as the best music to the ears of the spirits.