Filipino Folk Dances part 1: Background and Mountain/Igorot Suite

[Noel F. Tamayo]

The following is part 1 of 5 in a series of Filipino Folkdance
descriptions. These and other dances can be found at Noel's Pilipino
Folkdance Glossary at http://www.netcom.com/~ntamayo/folkdance.html

BACKGROUND

The study of folkdance from the Philippines was popularized in the
1950's by Francisca Reyes Aquino, former Superintendent of Physical
Education, Bureau of Public Schools, when she categorized a significant
number of folkdances. Her collection "Philippine Folk Dances" have been
an invaluable tool for physical education teachers as well as Filipino
Cultural directors around the world. Two other noteworthy literary
works documenting the art of Philippine dance include Ligaya Fernando
Amilbangsa's "Pangalay" and Leonor Orosa Goquinco's "The Dances of the
Emerald Isles."

On the performing arts side, in the late 1950's, the Bayanihan
Philippine Dance Company took its folkdance performances worldwide,
giving international exposure to Filipino folkdance. The Company has
inspired numerous dance companies to form, and it is responsible for
providing the current classification of "suites" used by cultural groups
and shows of the modern times.

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MOUNTAIN/IGOROT SUITE

The mountain region of Northern Luzon is known by the term "Philippine
Skyland." Inhabiting this rugged terrain are six ethno-linguistic tribes
known as the Ibaloy, Kankanay, Ifugao, Kalinga, Apayao, and Bontoc.
These tribes, now known collectively as the Igorot or Mountain people,
were generally unfazed by Spanish colonization. They hold common
religious beliefs, generally animalistic, and make propitiatory
offerings to anitos, or household gods. Among these Mountain people,
dance serves many purposes, including:
-to appease their ancestors and gods to cure ailments,
-to insure successful war-mating activities,
-to ward off bad luck or natural calamities,
-to congregate and socialize, for general welfare and recreation
-to insure bountiful harvests, favorable weather,
-to mark milestones in the cycle of life.

Banga
(bahng-AH)
Igorot maidens go to the river and prepare for a marriage ceremony. They
display not only their grace and agility, but also their stamina and
strength as they go about their daily task of fetching water and
balancing the banga, claypots full of water, on their heads.

Bumayah
(booh-mah-YAH)
Thanksgiving festivals are one of many occasions for tribal
celebrations. The movements in this dance of the Ifugao tribe, imitating
those of a rooster scratching the ground, symbolize a thanksgiving
prayer to the god Kabunian for a bountiful harvest of rice. Both men and
women express their joy in this thanksgiving.

Palakis
(pah-LAH-keehs)
This courtship dance originates from Western Bontoc and is usually
performed at weddings and during festivals like the begnas, celebrated
by the community before a harvest or planting. The dance is
characterized by free-form interactions between male and female dancers,
with each dancer carrying a square-meter piece of brightly colored
cloth, held or shaken to convey sentiments such as flirtation or desire.
A set of four gongs accompanies this dance.

Salip
(SAH-lihp)
The Salip of the Kalinga tribe depicts a warrior claiming his bride by
presenting her with a matrimonial blanket. The woman responds by
balancing several clay pots upon her head. She follows the man to
connote obedience. He simulates the movements of a rooster at love play,
aspiring to attract and seize his love. A version of this dance has two
warriors competing for the approval of the fair maiden.