Rural/Barrio Suite

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. It expresses a joy in work, a love for music, and pleasure in the simplicities of life.

Binasuan

(beeh-nah-SOOH-ahn)
This colorful and lively dance from Bayambang in the Pangasinan province shows off the balancing skills of the dancers. The glasses that the dancers gracefully, yet carefully, maneuver are half-filled with rice wine. Binasuan, meaning "with the use of a drinking glass" in Pangasinan, is often performed as entertainment at weddings, birthdays, and fiestas.

Binatbatan

(BIH-naht-BAH-tahn)
An occupational dance from Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Binatbatan depicts the beating of cotton pods to separate the seeds from the fibers with the use of two sticks called batbat in the Ilocos region. Weavers in Paoay often engage themselves in abel-making contests (abel is a cloth common among the Ilocanos). Dancers maneuver in and out of parallel batbat sticks, each about 18 inches long. The rhythm and speed of the beating of the sticks make for a lively and colorful display.

Itik-itik

Audio sample (itikitik.wav)
(EEH-tihk-EEH-tihk)
At one baptismal party in the Surigao del Norte province, a young lady named Kanang (the nickname for Cayetana), considered the best dancer and singer of her time, was asked to dance the Sibay. She became so enthusiastic and spirited during the performance that she began to improvise movements and steps similar to the movements of itik, the duck, as it walks with short, choppy steps and splashes water on its back while calling to its mate. The people liked the dance so much that they all imitated her. There are six separate foot sequences in the series of Itik-Itik steps.

Kalapati

(kah-lah-PAH-tee)
The dance from Cabugao, Ilocos Sur province, symbolizes peace and is represented by imitating the movements of a graceful dove. It portrays the typical traits of the Ilocanos: simplicity, naturalness, and shyness.

Kuratsa

Audio sample (kuratsa.wav)
(kooh-RAHT-sah)
A dance originating from Bohol, Visayas, it is popular at Ilocano and Visayan festivals. This dance commands a sense of improvisation which mimics a young playful couple's attempt to get each other's attention. It is performed in a moderate waltz style.

Maglalatik

MIDI File (maglalat.mid)
(mahg-lah-lah-TIHK)

This mock war dance, originating from the Spanish Regime, depicts a fight between the Moros and the Christians over the latik, or coconut meat residue. This dance, originally performed in Biñan, Laguna, is also performed as a tribute to the patron saint of farmers, San Isidro de Labrador. The Moros of this dance usually wear red trousers, while the Christians don blue trousers. All of the men use harnesses of coconut shells positioned on their backs, chests, hips, and thighs.

Oasiwas

(wah-SEE-wahs)
After a good catch, fishermen of Lingayen would celebrate by drinking wine and by dancing, swinging and circling a lighted lamp. Hence, the name "Oasiwas" which in the Pangasinan dialect means "swinging." This unique and colorful dance calls for skill in balancing an oil lamp on the head while circling in each hand a lighted lamp wrapped in a porous cloth or fishnet. The waltz-style music is similar to that of Pandanggo sa Ilaw.

Pandanggo na Tapis

(pahn-DAHNG-go-nah-TAH-peehs)
In the olden days, a woman's sapeuy, or skirt, is incomplete without a tapis, a rectangular apron. The dancer depicts the different uses of tapis: courtship, flirtation, decoration, protection, wrapping, and driving the birds away from the rice fields.

Pandanggo sa Ilaw

Audio sample (pandango.wav)
(pahn-DAHNG-go-sah-EEH-lahw)
This popular dance of grace and balance comes from Mindoro in the Visayas region. The term pandanggo comes from the Spanish word fandango, which is a dance characterized by lively steps and clapping that varies in rhythm in 3/4 time. This particular pandanggo involves the presence of three tinggoy, or oil lamps, balanced on the head and the back of each hand.

Sakuting

Audio sample (sakuting.wav)
(sah-KOOH-teehng)
A dance of the Ilocano Christians and non-Christians from the province of Abra, Sakuting was originally performed by boys only. It portrays a mock fight using sticks to train for combat. The stacatto-inflected music suggests a strong Chinese influence. The dance is customarily performed during Christmas at the town plaza, or from the house-to-house. The spectators give the dancers aguinaldos, or gifts of money or refreshments especially prepared for Christmas.

Sayaw sa Bangko

MIDI File (sayaw.mid)
(sah-YAHW-sah-bahng-KOH)
This dance is native to the barrio of Pangapisan, Lingayen, Pangasinan, and demands skill from its performers who must dance on top of a bench roughly six inches wide.

Subli

Audio sample (subli.wav)
(sooh-BLEEH)
From the province of Batangas comes this ancient dance, originally performed in veneration of the holy cross of Alitagtag, referred to in the vernacular as Mahal na Poong Santa Cruz. The word subli is derived from two Tagalog words, subsub (stooped) and bali (broken). Hence, the men are stooped throughout the dance and appear to be lame and crooked, while the women dance with hats.

Tinikling

MIDI File (tiniklng.mid)
(teeh-NEEHK-lihng)
Honored as the Philippine national dance, Tinikling is a favorite in the Visayan islands, especially on the island of Leyte. The dance imitates the movement of the tikling birds as they walk between grass stems or run over tree branches. Dancers imitate the tikling bird's legendary grace and speed by skillfully maneuvering between large bamboo poles.