DANCE AS
CULTURAL
EXPRESSION
Dance is an art of rhythmic bodily movements
that projects ordered sequence of moving visual
patterns of line, solid shape, and color (Thomas
Munro in Kraus and Gaufman, 1981).
FOLK DANCE
Philippine Folk Dance
Folk dances are related to everything of
importance in our daily lives, such as customs,
rituals, and occupations of a specific group of
people. Most of these dances are related in origin
to religious beliefs, stemming from emotions,
superstitions, festivals, ceremonies of birth,
courtship, marriage, death, war, and countless
themes common to all people around the world.
Differences of Folk, National, and Ethnic Dances
Lopez (2006) further stated that Philippine folk dance, to be
called such, should have the following characteristics:
1. It is traditional.
2. It has an expressive behavior.
3. Simple, basic rhythm dominates the folk dance and
establishes the pattern of movement.
4. It is created by an unknown choreographer or through
communal efforts.
5. It performs a function in the life of the (folk) people.
Some examples of Pandango dances are:
Pandango Ilocano
Pandango Visayan
Pandango Dumagueteño
Pandango Ivatan
Pandango Rinconada
Pandango sa Ilaw
Ethnic dances or ethnological dances are those
performed in primitive tribes and have retained their
close kinship with religious ritual and community
custom. These dances may “require a certain level of
special performing skills” (Kraus, 1962) that are
symbolic in meaning, making it harder for those outside
the group to understand. They can be performed in three
different categories, namely, ritual, life-cycle, and
occupational.
In the Philippines, dances originating from the Ifugao people of the
northern Luzon, T’boli tribe from Southern Mindanao, and Tagbanua
tribe from Palawan are examples of ethnic dances. Below are few
examples of the different types of ethnic dances:
a. Ritual dances – dances that depict ritual ceremonies. Examples are
Dugso (Bukidnon) and Pagdidiwata (Palawan).
b. Life-cycle dances – dances relating to the cycle of human life such as
birthing, courtship, wedding, and funeral. Examples are Binasuan
(Pangasinan) and Daling-daling (Muslim courtship dance from Sulu).
c. Occupational dances – dances that exhibit work and occupation of the
dancers. Examples are Mag- Asik (Cotabato) and Mananagat (Cebu)
dances.
Types of Folk Dances
1. Tribal dances from the Cordilleras – include non-Christian dances
from the Cordilleras.
2. Lowland Christian dances – dances coming from places with
Western influences such as that of the Tagalogs, Ilokanos,
Pampangueños, Pangasinense, Bisayans, and Bicolonas. These
dances are influenced by Hispanic and European cultures.
3. Muslim dances – dances from the people of the Southern Islands
of the Philippines such as in Mindanao and Sulu. These dances are
influenced by Arabic and IndoMalayan cultures.
• Philippine folk dances, regardless of their classifications, may also
be categorized as:
1. Life-cycle dances – dances that serve as a ritual as one passes to a
different stage in life such as from birth to childhood to adulthood;
from singlehood to marriage; and from life to death. Below are the
different dances that portray life cycle: a. courtship dances b. wedding
dances c. funeral dances
2. Festival dances – dances that are either religious or secular and are
connected with the celebration of recurring events of special
significance.
3. Occupational dances – dances that depict the means of livelihood of the Filipino people.
Palay festival, a national dance in rice-growing regions, is an example of an occupational dance
wherein dancers portray different steps in rice growing—from planting to harvesting to
threshing, flailing, pounding, airing and winnowing (Aquino, 1979).
4. Ritual and ceremonial dances – dances performed as part of the rituals and ceremonies of a
certain tribe or group of people.
5. Game dances – derivations from local folk games. One example of these dances is the Pukol
dance from Aklan and Capiz in the Panay region. Pukol means “to strike or bump each other”
(Aquino, 1979).
6. Joke and trickster dances – include jokes or tricks played by a dancer on another or a group of
dancers who is one of them. The intention is to render that individual “to a physical or mental
indignity or discomfort” (Lopez, 2006). Example of these is the Pandanggo sa Sambalilo dance
from the Tagalog regions wherein a girl teases her male partner by playing with his hat then
pushes him when he is about to succeed in getting back and putting on his hat from the floor.
7. Mimetic or drama dances – dances that mimic animals, inanimate objects, or other people. The
dancers get into roles other than themselves and become actors totally immersed in the story the
dances tell. The Itik-Itik dance from Surigao is an example of a mimetic dance as it imitates the
movements of a duck.
8. War dances – dances that express feud and enmity wherein two male dancers engage in physical
combat with Spartan-like intensity (Lopez, 2006). Maglalatik (Biñan, Laguna) is an example of a
war dance as this depicts a battle between Muslims of southern Philippines and the Christian
Filipinos of the lowlands over latik, the residue after a coconut has boiled down. In this dance, the
Muslim won and the Christians sought conciliation in order to convert the Muslim Moros to
Christianity (Aquino, 1979).
9. Social amenities dances – dances that express social graces, hospitality , and offerings of gifts to
friends. All social ballroom dances and most of the “Filipinized” Western dances that show
camaraderie merriment belong to this group (Lopez, 2006). Examples are Minuete Yano (Iriga,
Camarines Sur), Alay (Tagalog regions), and Habanera Botoleña (Botolan, Zambales) dances.
Minuete Yano, for instance, is performed by people from high social standing in the community
during special occasions honoring high government officials and church dignitaries (Aquino, 1979).
Modern Dance
Modern dance, a term to describe
contemporary dance, is a style of dancing
where dancers are free to express their
feelings through movements without adhering
to any rules in dance particularly that of
ballet. It is a rebellion against the confining
nature of classical ballet (Horwitz, in
Reynolds, 1979).
Characteristics of Modern Dance
Technique. Although some would
see modern dance as just purely an
“interpretative dance,” there is a
technical approach to training a
modern dancer.
2. Improvisation. This refers to the spontaneous movement
performed by dancers in response to suggestions by the
choreographer. Various images, ideas, feelings, or other
stimulating events may be motivations for improvisations.
Modern dance allows considerable freedom to the dancer.
3. Choreography. Modern dance allows choreographic
freedom. The form in this dance mostly represents the personal
and emotional experiences of its creators. The intent and style
of the dance choreography are not limited to certain areas or
subject matters, giving the choreographers freedom to choose
their own. (Minton, 1984)
