Marjurie O.

Quince
BSBA FM 2B

My experience as a student with Philippine Folk Dance

Dance is one of common hobby of a student. Most of us love to dance

because it gave us happiness and sometimes it become our stress reliever.
There are many different types of dance we encounter nowadays but the most
famous will know as a Filipino was the folk dance. For me, the folk-dance means
history. Folk dances are used to reflect the traditional life of the people of a
certain country or region. It is a kind of ethnic dance. Philippine folk dance has a
long and diverse history. Each region of the Philippines features its own folk
dances, originating from the pre-colonial era to the time of the Spanish
occupation from the 1500s until the late 1800s. Most of these Filipino folk dances
tell stories about historical happenings, ways of life, cultural influences and
religious customs. Philippine has a unique traditional dance because of the
different style and different outfits that the dancer wears when they dance. And
different props use. For example, the tinikiling we use bamboo and Cariñosa also
use abaniko as a props. I bet, every student in the country have had an
experience of folk dancing, if not, might have seen one. They say it is so natural
of the Filipinos to dance. From the dance festivals of every municipality in its
more than 7,7100 islands to the rituals of the mountains and the churches, and
even to the sacred spaces of churches, the quiet bathrooms, and the unspoken
queerness of nightclubs, there's got to be a moving soul who once had that
intimate moment with a traditional dance.

My first folk dance experience was when I got to dance Cariñosa. It is

under Spanish Influenced Dance. I was in Grade 2 under my strict teacher Ms.
De Guia. She is very strict when it comes to dance especially in Carinosa
because she believes it is our mirror to our culture of courting even though were
young, we must feel the . Anyway, Cariñosa it is Representing the courting phase
of a romantic relationship, the cariñosa which means “affectionate one” is a
Filipino folk dance that emerges from Panay, the Visayas and the Bicol region. It
will work with props, such as a fan and a handkerchief, in ways that resemble the
reserve act of hide-and-seek. This dance is not only to the cultural values
associated with courtship, but also to one of the Philippines’ most beloved
national dances. I was around 8 to 9 years old that time and I was not familiar
about Cariñosa. Why we need to dance the Cariñosa or what is courting about.
And also, I was curious about the props of fan and handkerchief. So my teacher
explain that Cariñosa is our national dance and it is represent courting but still
not understand that time. Anyways, Ms. De Guia still want us to learn to dance.
Usually we have event like” Buwan ng Wika” and most of the program was
involve dance like Spanish Influence Dance and Rural Dance. When I was Grade
2, I was not remembered anything about Cariñosa but when I reached Grade 5
I’ll understand more about it, the steps, the history and the purpose of Cariñosa.

One of the national dances we should be proud of is the Cariñosa. This is

a courtship dance known throughout the Philippines with its flirtatious
movements. The word “Cariñosa” means affectionate, amiable, or lovable. Ther
are many versions of this dance, but hide and seek movements using a fan and a
handkerchief are the most common. Cariñosa means the loving or affectionate
one is a Philippine dance of Hispanic origin from the Maria Clara suite of
Philippine folk dances, where the fan or handkerchief plays an instrumental role
as it places the couple in romance scenario. Originally Carinosa was danced with
Maria Clara dress and Barong Tagalog for it is a Maria Clara Spanish Dance
when it is introduced. However, our teacher explain usually they wore the
patadyong kimona and camisa de chino to reveal their love as a Filipino and
other step was revised to make it more Filipino but the music did not change at
all and reveals a Spanish Influence to the Filipinos. As far as I can, I will tell the
basic steps of how we dance Cariñosa. The 1st figure is the “Three Steps and
Point”. It starts with the right foot, take three steps sideward right. Point left foot in
front. Right hand in reverse “T” position and left hand on skirt/waist. Kumintang
right hand when pointing left foot. The 2nd figure is “Pointing”. It starts with the
right foot, take three steps forward and meet at the center. Take four touch steps
in front, right and left alternately. Take four steps forward to partner’s place,
passing each other by right shoulder. Turn right about to face each other and
close right to left. The 3rd figure is “Back-to-Back”. The partners meet at the
center as in figure II. Turn right about to be in back-to back position, slightly to
right of partner. Girl holds skirt; boy places hands on waist. Point right foot in
front and shake right index finger at partner over right shoulder by left shoulder;
left hand on waist. Step right sideward to be side by side with partner by left
shoulder; place right hand on waist. The 4th figure is the “Hide-and-Seek with
Fan”. The girl holds and open fan with right hand. Point right foot in front and
cover face with fan. The boy-point right and left foot alternately in front and look
at partner from underneath the fan, hands on waist. The 5th figure is “Kneeling
and Fanning”. Take three steps forward to the center. Girl kneels while boy
passes around on right of girl to stand behind her and faces the same direction
as girl. Boy points right and left foot four times alternately in front, looking at girl
over her right and left shoulder alternately. Girl looks at partner over her right and
left shoulder alternately. The 6th figure is “Hide-and-Seek with Handkerchief”.
Partners meet at the center as in figure II. Boy takes handkerchief at corners in a
perpendicular position between their faces with boy’s hands on top at face level.

The 7th figure is “Flirting with Handkerchief”. Partners turn right shoulders
toward each other. Starting with right foot, take eight waltz steps forward, moving
around clockwise. Girl holds handkerchief at one corner and place it over her
right and left shoulder alternately at every measure, looking back at the boy at
the same time. Boy, in the meantime, follows behind girl, stretching out right and
left hand alternately, as though they were trying to catch the free end of the
handkerchief. The 8th and last figure are “Flirting”. Start by taking two waltz steps
to meet at the center. With girl leading in front, partners take six waltz steps
forward moving around clockwise. I still remember the steps because that is of
my favorite dance and it is easy because all you need is pretend to being
conservative when its come to courting in Tagalog all I need is to be “pabebe”

My next Philippine dance experienced when I was Grade 6, it happens in

the demo of my adviser, Mr. Mallari. And our choreographer was my mother. I
remember our costume was very shining and glittery. Our nails were long and
also was shimmering in color. I think it is under Muslim Dance. I don’t remember
what the dance called but I know it is Malay or Indonesian culture. And the funny
part was we don’t smile when dance. And the whole choreography our
expression was poker face that is my expression when it comes to Muslim
Dance. It takes seriously the dance step but of course also represent of their
culture. My last experience dance was in Grade 11 Senior High School. We
dance tinikiling but we make it different than the original. Usually, it’s a dance that
is performed with four people and a dancer or two; one person holds a long
bamboo stick on one end, while another person holds onto the other end;
another two people hold a second bamboo stick the same way. Beside the
Cariñosa dance, the Tinikiling is considered a national dance in the Philippines
and almost every Filipino knows how to do it. Since it’s a dramatic dance, it’s
usually performed on special occasions like traditional Filipino festivals or at
school and theater performances. Some say that this dance represents most
Filipinos’ two main character traits: They’re resilient and fun-loving. The music
was modern but props and costume was the same. I remember it is our first
project in Business Mathematics. I enjoyed the tinikling because were like
experimenting the steps and make our own movements according to the
mathematics subject. It is fun and unique experience for me. That is my last
experience dancing folk dance that was around the year of 2018 and it almost 3
years. I can’t wait to experience again the program and dances of folk dance. I
wish after this pandemic I will dance again.

We have now different dances right now not only in the Philippines but
also worldwide. But I will focus to the Philippine Folk Dance. So, what is the role
of Philippine Folk dance to our society? Simply, it keeps our culture alive. It also
helps keep the people connected to their ancestor and their traditions. Folk
dance helps to preserve the cultural and festival of the people. The most
important role it is pass from generation to generation to reflect the traditions or
customs of a particular group of people or a certain country. Philippine Folk
Dance is really important, this is our way to tell other people on what are the
things that they need to know about our culture. It is also the way that other
people could have respect, knowledge and give importance to our traditions and
norms. Let other culture tell what are the story behind their dance. It is our mirror
to our preserve culture. Folk dance is one of the most important things in our
traditional because it helps the traditional way to improve and promote the
country.

Why it is important to learn the history of Philippine Folk dance? History

allows us to gain a better understanding surrounding the events, challenges, and
celebrations that helped to form the people who developed our knowledge when
it comes to our folk dance. History is the study of change, the understanding of
what has evolved, what has remained the same. It helps us to understand how
change has affected the past to help us determine how similar change will affect
the future.

As a student to preserve and strengthen our folkdance through promoting

and performing it in any ways like group dance competitions in school. Always
participate to dance so in yourself you do not forget the Philippine Folk Dance
you can share knowledge to other students the folk dance. I can be
choreographer so I will be transmitted to the next generation so it still preserves
our Philippine Folk Dance. In other words, the next generation didn’t forget our
folk dance. Then, I will also use my voice to speak and teach people for what the
importance of folkdance and should not be forgotten. And to explain that in every
action and movements in dancing is has their own meaning that will make you
astonish. I will bring them back to the past years that folkdance was existing.
Simply sharing knowledge about Philippine Folk Dance was big help to other to
promote and encourage them to love and do not forget the folk dance and have a
cultural awareness. Sharing knowledge is the key to preserve.