Fiesta Filipina
Dances in this suite will depict the lives, the hearts, and the minds of the Pilipino people. These dances are usually performed during the town fiestas or after a good harvest.
Bakya-Salakot
A dance performed with the use of a “salakot,” a typical hat, and “bakya,” the local wooden sandals.
Labahan at Palo-Palo
A typical washing scene by the river. “Labahan,” which means washing, and “palo-palo,” a piece of wood used by the women while washing, is a comedy showing flirtation between a male and several giggling females washing their clothes on the river bank.
Sayaw sa Bangko
A dance which requires skill while dancing on a narrow bench. The dancers twist and jump as shouts and applause encourage them not to fall off the bench.
Kalapati
An amusing dance imitating the movements of the doves, or “kalapati.”
Bulaklakan
A garland dance performed in the month of May by beautiful ladies who dance their way towards the town church during the flower festival.
Binasuan
A difficult dance featuring women balancing glasses filled with “tuba” (rice wine) on their heads and one on each palm, doing rolls on the floor and sometimes whirling in circles.
Kalatong
The “kalatong” is a hollow bamboo tube struck rhythmically by the men.
Sayaw sa Pag-Ibig
A courtship dance by two young lovers meeting without the consent of their parents.
Maglalatik
This dance originally depicted a mock fight for latik. Latik is the coconut meat residue. An all-male dance, Maglalatik is unique because of the harness of the coconut shells worn on the bodies and legs of the performers.
Pandanggo sa Ilaw-Oasioas
Lovely as ever, the dance of lights as darkness falls over the countryside, the dancers skillfully balance oil lamps on their heads as they move to the music. Oasioas, meaning swinging, is a dance imitating fire flies.
Sambalilo-Kuratsa
This is a flirting dance wherein the swain is showing off to his sweetheart that he can pick up a straw hat without using his hands and dancing at the same time. The Philippine version of curacha, this is a teasing fast dance of chase and run.
Pastores-A-Belen
Dance to the Spanish Christmas melody composed by the Philippine national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. Young groups from the Bicol region play Christmas shepherds in their Mexican influenced costumes.
Sakuting
A ritual dance which depicts a mock fight celebrating a victory, usually performed in town plazas. This is of Chinese influence.
Ate-Ate sa Bukid
A very lively dance similar to the American square dance.
Subli
The boys are “subli,” (sub-sub and bali), that is to say, bent down and contracted as they dance and click castanets, while the girls wave their hats decorated with ribbons.
Paraguanen
Originating from Cebu, this very comic dance was originally performed by the aborigines of the Philippines imitating the Spanish conquistadors occupying their land.
Tinikling
Named after the long-legged tikling bird, which is here impersonated by alert dancers with magic feet skipping among striking bamboos.