Different Types of Folk Dance

There are five types of folk dances in the Philippines. Namely: Maria Clara Dance, Cordillera Dance, Muslim Dance, Rural Dance, and Tribal Dance.

Perhaps the best known and closest to the Filipino heart are the dances from the rural Christian lowlands: a country blessed with so much beauty. To the Filipinos, these dances illustrate the fiesta spirit and demonstrate a love of life.

• Itik-Itik. The Itik-Itik is a dance from Surigao del Norte, in which the movements of a duck are imitated. An itik is a species of duck.
• Singkil. The Maranao dance called Singkil is in the repertory of all Filipino dance troupes.
• Kandingan.

• Céilidh – Gaelic folk dance originating from Scotland and Ireland.
• Fandango – Traditional Spanish couples dance that is accompanied by guitars and clapping hands or castanets.
• Georgian folk dances – Include dances such as Kartuli, Khorumi, Acharuli, Partsa, Kazbeguri, and Khevsuruli.

What is the importance of folk dance? Primarily, it keeps a culture of people alive, by sharing and teaching younger generations the dances. Dance keeps the history of people alive as well. Dances are ways a community celebrates a special event or important date in time.

People have been doing folk dances for hundreds of years, and there is value keeping that tradition alive. Folk dances are important because they preserve the Philippine culture and pass it on to the next generation. They are a uniting force to the Philippine people.

Characteristics

• In general, dancers stand apart.
• There is little, if anybody contract.
• Most of the dances are done by pairs or couples.
• Hand movements play an important part.
• Most dances are in long formation.
• Most dances begin and end with “saludo”.
• Dance from low land have more foreign elements than those in upland.

Francisca Reyes Aquino

Philippine folk dances are a celebration of daily life, health, peace, war, harvest times and other aspects of life. GAME DANCES are those that are done with play elements. This is a dance from Jolo, Sulu. In traces its cultural influences from Hindu, Buddhist, Spanish, and many other ethnic religious tribes.

The history of Philippine folk dancing incorporates influences from immigrants and conquerors while at the same time maintaining distinctly Filipino roots. There is no recorded “start” to Philippine folk dance – as long as there have been people on the islands they have been dancing.