PE 2- RHYTHMIC ACTIVITIES

TOPIC: DANCES

Dance, rhythmic and expressive body movement, usually coordinated into a pattern and
adapted to musical accompaniment. Dance is perhaps the oldest of the arts, reflecting man’s
age-old need to communicate joy, grief by using the most immediate instrument at his
disposal---his body.
Almost all-important occasions in the life of the primitive man were, celebrated by
dancing; birth, death, marriage, war, a new leader, the healing of the sick, prayers for the rain,
sun, fertility, protection, and forgiveness were all expressed through dancing.
Dance steps are created from man’s basic movements: walk, run, jump, hop, skip, slide,
leap, turn, and sway. Combinations of these have become traditional dance steps and have
been used, often in a stylized manner, for folk and ethnic dances, social or ballroom dances,
ballet, and modern expressive dances.
Some of the more important features of the dance are rhythm, or the relatively fast or
slow repetition and variation of movements; design or the arrangement of movements
according to a pattern; dynamics, or variations in the force and intensity of movement; and
technique, or the degree of body control and mastery of basic steps and positions. Also
important in many dances are gestures, especially hand movements.

FOLK DANCE DEFINITIONS

⮚ The traditional recreational dance of an indigenous society showing the cultural
characteristics of a specific people at a given time and place.
⮚ Traditional, social expression through movements with rhythmic accompaniment which
are characteristics of the community life of the people of different nationalities.
⮚ The vivid intimate bond of customs, ideals, and traditions of the past through which a
multiple of national characteristics in music, steps, and costumes are preserved.
⮚ A dance developed spontaneously and naturally by a specific folk, usually handed down
from generation and following a fixed basic pattern.

ORIGIN OF DANCE IN THE PHILIPPINES ACCORDING TO FILIPINO LEGEND

According to Philippine legend, the first man and the first woman went up to the hill to
make their first home. They begot many children and later become the ancestors of diverse
tribes.
Several beliefs influenced their way of life. When death struck, when lightning flashed in
the sky, and when thunder rumbled, the tribes were struck with fear. They thought that the
gods were angry. To placate their deities, they offered sacrificial rites by way of fire and smoke
in the belief that smoke from fires they kindled carried their invocation heavenwards.
When illness and pestilence befell the tribes, the people wailed and chanted and danced
long into night, so that the evil spell might be broken. When the earth caked from drought, they
performed dance of propitiation so that the divine entities might take pity on them and send
rain to their parched fields. And when the rains came and drenched the soil to assure a
bountiful harvest, these children of the gods danced in the moonlight in joy and thanksgiving.
In the acts of imploring, conciliating and giving thanks to the gods, the people these
islands created dance to live forever in themselves, in their children and their children’s
children.
ETHNIC DANCES
The ethnic dances of the Philippines are classified into two major categories:
⮚ The dances of the Non-Christian Filipinos.
a) Dances of the traditionalists or “pagan” groups
b) Dances of Muslim groups

⮚ The dances of the Christian and Lowland Filipinos or Western-influenced.

a) Dances are savage, vigorous, and mimetic in character.
b) Some are light-hearted and mimetic.
c) Some are performed without music or melodic accompaniment

Primitive, indigenous, or ethnic are dances of the traditionalist groups. They require
such abilities as agility, nimbleness, and stamina.

Dances of the Aetas or Negritoes

⮚ They are focused on the feet.
⮚ The arm movements are simple and free.
⮚ Musical instrument includes bamboo and wooden sticks, clappers, shields and native
lutes (kudyapi, kettle drums, mass metal drums, bronze gongs).
⮚ Dances are:
1. Rituals
2. Flirtation
3. Courtship
4. Game dances
5. Animal dances
6. Duel or War dances

Dances of Muslims
⮚ Have cultural influences from Hindu, Japanese, Chinese and Arab-Persian civilizations.
⮚ Are oriental, exotic and stylized
⮚ The musical instruments are agongs, kulingtangan, bamboo xylophones and drums.

THE PHILIPPINE DANCE

Dance in the Philippines influences the diversity of our cultural beginnings and the
drama of our everyday lives. It blends the exotic customs and cultures of many countries and
races- Indonesian, Malay, Chinese, Indian, Spanish and American.

The Philippine archipelago was inhabited by three different racial groups even before
the coming of Magellan in 1521. They were the Pygmies, the Indonesians, and the Malays. The
Negritos and Proto-Malays were the descendants of the Pygmies. Dancing among the Negritos
was mostly pantomimic performed to depict the events of daily chores.

Filipinos possess natural grace, an inborn love for music and dance. Dancing is
considered a religious activity among them. They dance at many occasions – birth, love,
courtship, thanksgiving, wedding war, victory, marriage, planting and harvesting, prosperous
voyage, recovery from sickness and to heal the sick.

In places where life is easy, the dances are gay and frolicsome. Dances in places where
life is hard are sad, slow and even mournful.

Filipinos are also lovers of rituals as shown in ceremonial dances during town fiestas, Christmas,
Easter, Ash Wednesdays. There are dances performed by the priests and priestesses in the
thanks giving for plentiful harvest, victorious battle, a prosperous voyage or recovery from
sickness, to drive away evil spirits and in invoking their gods and anitos.

The Philippine Folkdances are classified according to:

1. Geographical Locations
National Dances – traditional dances throughout the Philippines with a common basic
movement or pattern but with slight variations.
Examples:
Cariñosa Kuratsa Balitaw
Rigodon Pandango Surtido

Local or Regional Dances – dances found in certain localities or regions only

Examples:
Alcamfort (Leyte)
Maglalatik (San Pablo, Laguna)
Basulto (Pampanga)

2. Nature of the Dance

a.) Occupational Dances – dances that depict actions, characteristics, occupations,

industries, and phases of human labor.

Examples:
Rice Festival – the largest number of dances
Pagtatanim Paggapas Paggiik
Paglulugas Paghangin Pagbabayo

Pabirik – depicts the different stages of gold panning.

Mananguete – tuba gatherer

b.) Religious or Ceremonial Dances – performed in connection with religious vows,

practices, and ceremonies. A religious dance may be performed to drive away evil
spirits, ask for a favor to have a child, give thanks for having recovered from
sickness, favors granted and vows fulfilled.

Examples:
Obando Dugso Sinurog

c.) Courtship Dances – dances that depict love-making or the love theme.
Examples:
Rogelia Lulay Hele-Hele Bago Quiere

d.) Wedding Dances – performed by newly weds, by friends and relatives of the bride
and groom, or by the father of the bride and the mother of the groom.
Examples:
Pantomina (bride and groom)
Pandang-Pandang (bride and groom and friends or relatives of each side)
Soryano (dance by the parents of the future groom, the visit of the
parents
of the bride)
 e.) Festival Dances – performed in connection with celebrations, a feast, a barrio fiesta,
good harvest and good fortune.

Examples:
Kuratsa La Jota Putong

f.) War Dances – intended to show imagery combat or duel with the use of fighting
implement like bolo, kris or spear.

Examples:
Inabaknon Sagayan

g.) Comic Dances – dances with funny and humorous movements mainly intended for
entertainment.

Examples:
Makonggo (movements of a monkey)
Kinoton (movements of a person bitten by ants)

h.) Game Dances – dances that have some play elements and for recreational purpose.
Examples:
Lubi-Lubi Gayong-Gayong Pabo

i.) Social Dances – dances performed during social gatherings.

Examples:
Rigodon Lanceros

GROUP CLASSIFICATIONS OF DANCES FOUND IN THE PHILIPPINES

1. Dances of the Cordilla Groups

BIBAKIIG – acronym for Bontocs, Ifugaos, Benguets, Apayao, Kalinga, Itneg, Ilonggot, and
Gaddang.

PESHITS & KANYAO – occasions for the presentation of Cordillera dances.

Classification: ceremonial, courtship, war, festival; imitative in nature.

Some of the Dances

⮚ Takik – flirtation, love or wedding, dance from Western Bontoc

⮚ Pattong – danced by one or two warriors
⮚ Dinuyya – from Lagawe Ifugao, it is a dance festival performed by men and women
during a major feast.
⮚ Tarektek – among the Benguets, dance imitating the “woodpeckers”
⮚ Bendian – victory dance
⮚ Turayen – among the Apayaos, dance imitating a high flying bird.
⮚ Tedeck – a Kalinga word for dance
⮚ Ragragsakan – a work dance of Kalinga women where they carry baskets on their heads
or sometimes layered claypots.
⮚ Takiling – victory dance performed after a head-hunting spree.
2. Dances of the Mindanao Groups
 Dances have touches of Hindu, Javanese, Chinese, and Arab-Persian culture.

Some of the Dances

⮚ Kakulangan – among Maranao, is danced with the use of a beautifully decorated

umbrella.
⮚ Sagayan – is a war dance which dramatizes the hero-warrior prince.
⮚ Asik – is a doll dance for girls.
⮚ Silong sa Ganding – shows traces of Hindu – Vedic influence, where the five dancers
represent the sounds of the gandingan.
⮚ Pang-alay – from Jolo Sulu, portrays the varied life activities of the people.
⮚ Maglanka – is dance class of noble Samal women.
⮚ Burong Talo – is a martial arts dance in the Langka tradition of Mindanao dances.
⮚ Pindulas – depicts the movements of the fish.
⮚ Binanog – is a Manobo hawk dance.

3. Spanish/European/Western Influenced Dances

The Westernization of Filipino culture brought changes in the style of dancing among
Filipinos.
Introduction of Pandango, Habanera, Jota, Valse, Mazurka, Paseo, Rigodon, Lanceros, etc.
Some of the dances include:
⮚ Habanera Botolena is a dance of married couples in Botolan, Zmbales.
⮚ Pandango Rinconda is a festival dance from the province of Bicol depicting the
happy and contented life of the people.

4. Dances of the Countryside

⮚ If there were dances for the so-called “bourgoise,” during the Spanish period, there
were also dances for the poor, farmers, and people in the rural areas.
⮚ Dances were light and more informal.
⮚ Frequently, the dances require skills and character which depict their kind of work.
⮚ Some of the dances are:
● Binasuan is a dance that requires a balancing skill with glasses of wine.
● Bati is a dance performed during Easter Sunday.
● Gayong-Gayong is a game dance.
● Binislakan, which means sticks, is a Pangasinan dance that bears the Chinese
influence.

5. Dances of the Less-Known Groups

⮚ Kadal Blelah is a Tiboli dance with mythical bindings imitative of the movements of
the birds.
⮚ Karasaguyon is a courtship dance.
⮚ Kadal Tajo is a dance that depicts the movement of a bird in the middle of the
forest.

Benefits of Dancing
1. Fitness. Dancing is one of the versatile and satisfying activities one can participate in as
a form of expression, recreation or a form of exercise to develop fitness.
2. Joy and Satisfaction. The physical well-being of a person who participates is improved.
3. Grace and Coordination. It improves response to rhythmic patterns. Constant
participation in dance activities will improve one’s neuromuscular coordination and help
one’s acquisition of grace.
 4. Self-Expression. It develops poise and good posture.
Basic Movement Skills

Basic movement skills are the bases of precise dance skills for folk and social dancing,
gymnastics and natural dancing. Locomotion is moving through space. There are two basic
types of movement skills: the locomotor movements and the nonlocomotory movements.
These movements are simple and easy to execute but it would be an interesting form of dance
expression when two or more of these steps are combined and performed with music. These
simple steps will make one’s body parts coordinate by movements with the music.

Locomotor movements of even rhythm include walking, running, jumping and leaping.
Locomotor movements of uneven rhythm include galloping, sliding and skipping.
Nonlocomotory movements involve bending, stretching, swaying, swinging, clapping, shaking,
pushing, pulling, falling and rising.

Walk – a movement through space done by shifting weight from one foot to the other without
losing contact with the floor.

Run – a movement through space by transferring weight from one foot to the other with a
short period of non-support while the body and feet are off the floor. The tempo is faster than
the walk.

Hop - a spring on one foot and landing on the ball of the same foot.

Jump – a spring on one foot or both feet and landing on both feet. Push off the floor with
strong foot and knee extension, the heel coming off first and then the toes. Upon landing, the
ball of the foot touches the floor first and then the heel comes down. The knees bend to absorb
the shock of landing.

Leap – a transfer of weight from one foot to the other foot by pushing off with a spring and
landing on the ball of the other foot. The leap is similar to a run except that it is executed with
greater height or covers a greater distance. The heel comes down after landing and the knees
bend to absorb the shock.

Gallop – a step on one foot followed by a quick close of the other foot just at the back or side of
the leading foot. The rhythm is long on the step forward or sideward direction and short at the
close. One foot is always leading.

Slide – slide to the right foot, slow beat, close the left foot to the right foot, shifting the weight
quickly onto the left foot. The rhythm is long on the leading foot and short on the closing foot.
 ACTIVITY NO. 1

Name: Date:
Year and Section: Score: /40

A. Fill in the table. Provide the information below.

NATURE OF DANCE MEANING

B. Matching type. Provide the answer on the space provided before the number.

____1. Bendian B
____2. Ragragsakan
a. flirtation, love or wedding, dance from
____3. Sagayan Western Bontoc

____4. Takik b. a courtship dance

____5. Karasaguyon c. a dance that requires a balancing skill

with glasses of wine
____6. Pang-alay
d. a Manobo hawk dance
____7. Gayong-Gayong
e. a war dance which dramatizes the hero-
____8. Binasuan warrior prince.

____9. Binanog f. victory dance

____10. Bati g. a dance performed during Easter Sunday

h. from Jolo Sulu, portrays the varied life

activities of the people

i. a work dance of Kalingga wowen where

they carry baskets on their heads

j. a game dance
C. Analogy. Fill in the blanks.

1. Kudyapi:Aetas and Negritos, Agongs:__________.

2. National Dances:Kuratsa, Local or Regional Dances:____________.

3. Rice Festival:Occupitional Dances, _________:Social Dances.

4. Lulay:___________, Makonggo:Comic Dances.

5. Game Dances:Gayong-Gayong, ___________:War Dances.

6. Pantomina:_________, Dugso:Religious or Ceremeonial Dances.

7. _________:Running, Non-locomotor:Clapping.

8. _____________:Pagan, Christian and Lowland Filipinos:Western-influenced.

9. Ethnic Dances:Binanog, ___________:Cariñosa.

10.BIBAKIIG:_______________, Arab-Persian culture:Mindanao Groups.