The Evolution of Dance

THE
EVOLUTION OF
DANCE
DANCE
• Dance is the mother of the arts. It is concerned with the
communication of emotions or ideas through the medium of
movement. The basic vehicle of dance is the human body and, as an
art form, dance is expressed in movement.
• Dance is a symbol of cultural identity. It is a medium of cultural
fusion with a focus on the intertwining of different culture. In fact,
dance today is not simply cross-cultural but pan-cultural and
planetary.
• The dances of the Philippines are deeply rooted in our culture.
They are a beautiful part of our national and cultural heritage and it
should be made an important part of every Filipino child’s school
experience.
THE
PRIMITIVE
ERA
• Primitive dance is a dance which is considered as dance
in its purest form because this particular dance form has
not been refined, developed, trained, or guided by an
artist.
• To the early Filipinos, dance was an expression of
community life that animates the various rituals and
ceremonies. This is evident among the ethnic dances of
the ethnolinguistic groups scattered all over the
Philippine islands who have not been substantially
westernized, either by Spanish or the United States.
CLASSIFICATION OF PRIMITIVE DANCES:
Ritual dance – are dances which connect the material world to

the spiritual.
• Bababylan or medicine men of primitive cultures were
considered by many to be the first choreographers or composers
of formal dances.
• Pagdiwata – performed by Tagbanuas for good harvest and
general well-being
• Dugso – a dance of Manobos of Bukidonon is a thanksgiving
for a bountiful harvest, birth of a male child, or a victory in war.
• Sohten – of the Subanon supplicates the spirits to give strength
and courage to a warrior.
• Bendian – of Benguet is a dance to heal a prolonged illness,
relieve natural calamities and to celebrate a victory in war.
• Tahing Baila – a prayer dance for a bountiful fish catch.
Life-cycle dances – are dances which celebrate an individual’s
birth, baptism, courtship, wedding and demise.
• Manmanok – of the Bagos is a courtship dance which is an
imitation of two mating fowls.
• Daling-daling – of the Tausug considered to be a courtship
dance especially when done in pairs displays grace as much as
affection.
• Himog or Death dance – a ceremonial dance performed only by
men to ask the gods for help in punishing the killer of their
warriors.
• Pangalay Pangantin – is a Samal-Badjao dance in the
“Pangalay” style performed by the bride.
Occupational dances – are dances which transform defense and livelihood
activities to celebratory performances.
• Tudak – acts out a whole sequence of the rice cycle into dance.
• Tauti – an unusually exciting occupational dance which vividly portrays the
labors of catching “tauti” (catfish).
Mimetic dances – special dances which are mimetic in nature.
• Sayaw tu Baud or pigeon dance is an imitation of the flight of pigeons from
hunters stalking them.
• Pinuhag – imitates movements of bee gathering honey.
• Inamo-amo – mimicked the movements of a monkey as it bounces and
gambles about.
• Ninanog – an imitation of the movements of the hawk as it pounced on its
quarry.
• The primitive dances of the Filipino people draw their inspiration
from the different images around them and religious and social
activities of the tribe which are of communal purpose. They may
also have learned many of their dances movements and patterns
from the birds and animals around them.
THE SPANISH
COLONIAL
PERIOD
• Spaniards came to the Philippines on March 16, 1521 and colonized the
Philippine islands for 333 years.
• Created an odd but attractive mixture of Christian beliefs and heathen
beliefs.
• Native dances were modified and used in the rites celebrating the
Christian holy days and religious fiestas and later turned native to a
certain extent and became a vehicle, for the Filipino way of spiritual and
communal expression.
• The natives started to lose most of their ancient traditions in literary,
visual and performing arts because of the introduction of European
culture.
• Native dances disappeared and displaced by the Spanish dances and in no
time dances from Spain, France and other European Countries such as
jota, valse, fandango, habanera, etc. were adopted.
• Filipinos gradually assimilated these foreign dances and created a
simplified versions and derivations with each region adding its own
touches.
• The elegance of the body and arm movements of foreign dances
fascinated the Filipinos so they adapted these but the sharp and fast
movements of most European dances were tempered and softened by the
languid grace.
• Spaniards did not teach the native their dances. The wealthy Indios
Filipinos, who on state occasions, socialized with the colonial masters,
merely copied and disseminated these dances among themselves. Others
like, peasant Filipinos enthusiastically watched peninsulares danced
where they selected, combined and injected their own regional
characteristics on these individual steps thus creating a distinctly Filipino
character.
THE
AMERICAN
COLONIAL
PERIOD
• In the treaty of Paris, Spain ceded the Philippines to the United
States on December 10, 1898 for $20,000,000.
• Schools were established all over the islands where physical
education was given a prominent place in the program.
• Drastically changed and modified the Filipino way of life.
• America made its presence felt in “bodabil” dancing, a term which
come from the French word “voix de ville” – street songs, which
was dancing in the variety show consisted mainly of popular and
theatrical dances from the U.S.A.
• Americans also introduced to the Philippines, ballet and modern dance as
well as social or ballroom dancing such as the Cakewalk, Swing, Foxtrot,
etc. and from the Caribbean like Tango, Rumba, Samba, Cha-cha, etc.
• American and foreign folk dances were also introduced by American
teachers in physical education which threatened to completely destroy
the well-cherished Philippine tradition and culture.
• The Philippine Folk dance was saved from extinction through the efforts
of Dr. Jorge C. Bacobo, U.P. Diliman President back then, Mrs. Francisca
Reyes Tolentino (later became Francisca Reyes Aquino) who transcribed
the dances, Mr. Antonio Bueneventura who recorded the folk music, and
Mr. Ramon Tolentino who took still pictures of the dances.

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THE

Ritual dance – are dances which connect the material world to

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