Ethnic dances are found among the ethnolinguistic groups scattered all over the

Philippine islands.

These dances, which are integral to the community ’s way of life, are: the ritual dances,
the life cycle dances and the occupational dances.

Ritual Dance

This type of dance connects the material world to the spiritual. It is closely attuned to
nature, believing in the spirits that keep their environment fruitful and their selves alive.

• At the center of these rites is the shaman called baylan or babaylan in the south
• Mumbaki, mandadawak or manalisig (a lesser mandadawak), mambunong or
katalonan in the north.

A. Among the Tagbanua of Palawan, the pagdiwata is a ritual of thanksgiving for the
rice harvest and for general well-being. Their babaylan are ginuu (noble) standing,
have an “aura of magico-religious potential” and are “stable individuals who
often have a deep understanding of how the society works and of psychological
problems of individuals.”

Done during the bilug (full moon). Around the

shaman is the support of kin (like a help called
taga-iring) who form a sodality.

Note: Lighting a cigarette may symbolize “the fire of the supernaturals” while
floating a turtle on the wine may mean the visit of a sailor spirit who fights
epidemics.
 Note: Lasting from 8 to 12 hours, the pagdiwata invites not only the highest deity
Magindusa but also other deities to join in the feast of drinking, eating, chewing of
betel, and smoking, so that none might be slighted.

B. Out in Bukidnon there are the hinaklaran (offering) festival and the ritual of the
three datu. The rite of the three Kaamulan datu enacts a regional unity where the
datu offer chicken of various colors, pouring their blood beside offertory water and
coins.

The women dance the well-known dugso

while a baylan ceremoniously chants her
own invocation. (https://youtu.be/L7fWuDbOKVc)

C. Up north, the Tinguian in the mountains of Abra

worship their anito God Kabunian. They are led by
a medium called mandadawak or alpogan.

The story goes that the spirit of Kabunian once

entered these pinaeng stones. All these are to ask
for rain or pray for everyone’s well-being.

In the hollow of a huge Balete Tree

are f ound sacred stones called
pinpinaing by the village people which
symbolizes the anito (spirits) of their
ancestors.
When life is threatened by illness, the Tinguian celebrate the bawi. The bawi-bawi,
a simulated house, is the center around which a mandadawak and his/her
assistant make a pig cry, again for the spirits to hear.

People of
Tinguian.
Outsiders
call them
Tinguian
but they
call
themselves
Itneg.

In the manerwap, the Bontoc bring baskets of chicks to the hills; their chirping
supposedly helps attract the spirits.

For two days and

two nights, senior
members of the
tribe participating
in the rain dance
perform while
beating gongs.
D. The Aeta of Zambales stage the anituan to drive away the evil spirits that cause
sickness.

During the anituan, the medium is in a trance and casts a

hypnotic spell over the audience, which is a dramatic
performance. Later, the audience and the "caught" spirit that
is causing the disease engage in a discourse.

E. The Mandaya of Davao hold various rituals to court the favors of various
environmental spirits believing that they are descendants of the union of the sun
and moon.

The word "Mandaya"

is derived from "man"
which means "first"
and "daya" which
means "upstream" or
"upper portion of a
river".

They believe in Pamulak Manobo who created the heaven and the earth, and
molded the first man named Toglai and woman named Toglibon.

F. The Isneg of the northeast Cordillera are as colorful in their clothes and feasts, as
they are fierce in their headhunts.
 G. Umayamnon babaylan dance, a man dresses up as a woman, in as much as most
babaylan are women, but as man he retains his strength which pleases the gods.

These Indigenous peoples dwell

along the watershed of
Umayam River in the Mountains
of Pantaron in the Eastern side
of the province of Bukidnon.

H. In the Subanon buklog, up before sunrise, the men go out to the open field to raise
a sacred building reaching for the clouds. The best wood is chosen for strength,
the best bamboo for pliancy, and the best food, rice wine, and incense for
efficacy.

Life-cycle dance

Life cycle dance celebrate an individual’s birth, baptism, courtship, wedding and
demise.

A. A child’s life is so guarded among the Tinguian. In their gabbok, one of the
subtribes of the Tinguian ritually transfers the health of the elders to the child.

A mandadawak dances around with the manalisig with a spear, she strikes a
helpless pig on the ground and then snaps out of her trance.

B. The Kalinga “Peacocks of the mountain” mark the same rite. The Kalinga keep a
couple and their child under a blanket while a shaman chants over them,
periodically wiping the couple and their baby.
C. Badjao boys discover graceful agility in the sea with their toy vintas. On reaching
a particular age, the Yakan boy’s hair is cut in paggunting; the boys are
ceremoniously made up and weighed in the pagtimbang— both for reasons of
health. They graduate from Quran reading in the pagtamat.
D. Among the Maranao, the youth is initiated into the marinaw which is a precombat
chant and ceremony which lead into the full-fledged sagayan dance that
 transforms him into a respectable young man. Like the sagayan, the Subanon
soten supplicates the spirits to give strength and courage to a warrior who shakes
a shield and palm leaves.
E. Gaddang of Nueva Vizcaya dance out a similar rooster-and-hen courtship in
bumbuak, without the usual blankets but with active hands and shuffling, skipping
steps.
F. Maguindanao dance of the lovers performed inside one such malong in which
dancers strike symmetrical poses. The malong also serves as a whip against
intruders in the danced liaison.
G. Bicol Flirtatious but bolder are the salok or scooping hand gesture of the old, old
pantomina in Bicol, which is still danced by the much-marginalized Abiyan.

Pantomina is a Bicolano folk dance that came from the Spanish word for
“pantomime”, because of its courting/wooing movements. Its old name is
“Salampati”, Bicol term for doves, so the dance is sometimes referred to as the
“dance of the doves”.

H. Tausug More sedate is the dalling-dalling of the Tausug (from the English word
“darling”) also called pagsangbay. A dance that displays grace as much as
affection, it is considered a courtship dance, especially when done in pairs.
I. Yakan a man has to dress up fastidiously to visit a girl. In the negotiation for
marriage called muatangan, the whole community is involved. The man is borne
on the shoulders, bringing the dowries. On the final day, the man rides a horse and
is shaded with an umbrella.
J. In kasal sa banig, the Bagobo go through the exchanges of food and chewing of
betel by a stream. The couple is made to incline their heads and their hair is wound
together.
K. The kawin of the Manobo includes the exchange of food, plus the sacrifice of a
pig on which the groom and bride ritually place their feet. In the end they both
step over the pig.
L. Pig-agawan of the Talaandig. Three maidens attract the attention of one man (the
group has more women than men), with their tall feathered combs, bead jewelry,
and embroidered scarves. After the women have taken turns shoving each other,
the man finally chooses by laying his kris on one of the women’s scarves.
M. Tinguian will have three to four women representing their villages and relations to
the dead, in the part called sangsangit, they sing over their dead.
N. In the udol of the Tagakaolo, the women lure back their men from battle by
dancing around and beating a musical log called udol.
Occupational dance

Transform defense and livelihood activities to celebratory performances.

A. Bilaan
A whole sequence, from men choosing and clearing a field, to women bringing
food, the men digging the ground with poles, the women sowing seeds from their
baskets, and finally, harvesting to a more leisurely rhythm of the haglong and
gongs.
B. Bukidnon
The same is done by the Bukidnon with their tudak (digging poles), seed and
harvest baskets, and pestles for pounding—all to the accompaniment of the same
musical instruments and an open-mouthed bamboo kalatong.
C. Similarly, an Aeta of Pampanga, boy or man, dances out much of his life, like in
the traditional talipi, or a situation where he is attacked by bees as in the
pinapanilan.
D. The Bilaan dramatically mime and dance out the amti with fish traps, prepare a
plant’s poison to daze their catch, build a fire for their meal, and mark the rhythm
with their bodies, even as they crawl or are up on their busy feet.
E. Former headhunters (mainly against the brave Ilongot of the region), they have a
story of how a monkey joined the victors and their dance has since been called
tayaw in tadaw (dance of the monkey).
F. The Kalinga also go into headhunts in their kayaw. They watch out for an idaw bird
and consult a mumbaki or shaman. A good omen leads them into a mock-war
dance. On the other hand, a victory calls for the crowning of the mingers (those
returning with head trophies) with feathered headdresses called lawi.