PATHFIT 3

(DANCE)
 History of Dance
• The impulse to dance may have existed in
early primates before they evolved into
humans. Dance has been an important part of
ceremony, rituals, celebrations and
entertainment since before the birth of the
earliest human civilizations.
Many contemporary dance forms can be traced
back to historical, traditional, ceremonial and
ethnic dances of the ancient period.
 History of Dance
• The dance has always been with us,
even before the arrival of written language and
modern history, when our earliest cultures
evolved utilizing oral and performance
methods to pass the stories from one
generation to the next. Many historians believe
that social, celebratory and ritual dances are
one of the essential factors of the development
of early human civilizations.
 History of Dance
The earliest findings have pinpointed the origins
of ancient dances in 9000-year-old India or
5300-year-old Egypt, but the records more
common infusion of dance into a modern culture
can be found from Ancient Greece, Rome, and
India. All these old dances evolved, eventually
morphing into a wide variety of Roman and
European medieval dances, traditional Chinese
dances, Hindi and other traditional dances,
respectively.
 Primitive Dance

Dancing in primitive cultures all had as their subject

matter the changes experienced by people throughout
their lives.
Two types of dance evolved as cultures developed:
1. social dances on occasions that celebrated births,
commemorated deaths, and marked special events in
between
2. magical or religious dance to ask gods to end a
famine, to provide rain or to cure the sick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTKKnhmNMu0
 Primitive dances three divisions
1. Religio-Magic. Dance rituals are performed with piety and earnestness and
are considered necessities.
a.Religion - Dance among the “primitive” people was a form of worship.
They danced to pacify the anger of the gods, to pray for bountiful harvest and
favorable weather, and for protection against their enemies.
Examples of these dances are:
a. Ginum of the Bagobo tribe- is a lavish feast in honor of tribal gods.
b. Pagdiwata- performed in gratitude for a good harvest and to implore
continued protection and favor from the dieties.
c. Dugso- is a thanksgiving dance of the Manobo’s of Bukidnon,
performed after a bountiful harvest, the birth of a male child, or victory in war,
and is danced without music. A fire is lit in the belief that the smoke will carry
the offering up to the gods.
d. TahingBaila- was a prayer for a bountiful fish catch.
 Primitive dances three divisions
b. Magic
•a. Manerwap is a Bontoc Igorot ritual to invoke the rain god to shower his
blessings, lasting from two or three days or until the rain falls.
•b. Iyag – is held to drive vermin or infestation from crops, to drive out
disease in general, to ask for good harvest, or to celebrate the end of a rice
planting season.
•c. Magjinn or Pagjinn from SitangkaiTawi-tawiis - an entrancing Badjaw
Spirit dance performed on the 14th moon to drive away an unfriendly “jinn”
(spirit).
•d. Magjuwata- is a Samal dance ritual to drive away spirits that cause illness.
All performers, except the dance leader, are female. Food offerings in coconut
shells are placed on a tray with a “tugtugan” (incense burner). Towards the
end of the ritual, the leader symbolically “whips” the “jinn” with a
“bagaygay” (betel nut flower cluster). It is actually the patient who receives
the blows.
 Primitive dances three divisions
• e. Magomboh - (Tawi-tawi) is performed on a Friday eve when the moon is
full, either to:
foretell the future; drive away “busung” (ill luck); or invoke the help of
spirits in recovering stolen property.
 Primitive dances three divisions

Tribal and Social

1. Tribal - Tribal dances are mostly rooted in rituals and hold great spiritual
significance for the tribe.
•a. BengetBendean Victory Dance - is performed to celebrate their exploits in
war.
•b. Tchungas- is performed in triumph over the ghost of slain enemies. This
dance also glorifies the bravery and daring of the warriors who killed their
enemies.
•c. Sa-ut- is a Manobo was dance representing an encounter between two
tribes, and features the use of shields and savage looks while dancing around
in a circle.
•d. Bangibang Burial Dance- is a death ritual. Originally it was performed
only when the deceased has been killed by foul means. The family or tribe
organized the dance prior to planning the revenge. Today, the dance is simply
a dance ritual for those who die in accident.
 Primitive dances three divisions
2. Tribal and Social
e. Himog or death dance- is a ceremonial dance performed only
by men to ask the gods for help in punishing the killer of their
warrior.
•f. Sagayan- is performed by a man recalling the exploits of King
Bantugan, hero of the Maranaw epic song called “Darangan”.
The dancer, dressed in a battle gear (a wooden sword with a
handkerchief tied to the handle and a narrow wooden shield with
bells and a wooden headgear) enacts the exploits of Prince
Bantugan
•g. Sumbali – is a Manobo war dance where, in reply to a song by
the war chief, the dancers chant and sing in unison, all the while
moving about with their spears and bows and arrows.
 Primitive dances three divisions
2.Social
a. Courtship
•a. Turayan of the Maducayan Tribe of Bontoc - is a courtship dance where the male
struts like a rooster while the remale follows passively.
•b. Tuppaya- is a Kalinga courtship dance in which the male brandishes a piece of cloth
(like a matador) and the girl follows.
•c. Igal Ha Agong- where the female dancer teases a male dancer who literally rolls,
crawls, kneels and follows her about, all the while expertly beating an “agung”.
•d. Pangasig - where the male dancer skillfully plays a “tungtung” (small gong) while
dancing around and teases a female dancing partner who pretends not to notice his
advances.
•e. Pinanyo-an- is a dance to entertain newlyweds with the man and woman dancing
with handkerchiefs. The man chases the woman and moves like a rooster courting a
hen. When the woman places the handkerchief on the man’s shoulder, it signifies
acceptance of his suit, and the man then burst into a love song.
 Primitive dances three divisions
b. Wedding- The “babaylan” or priestess usually climaxed a wedding
ceremony with a dance at the end of which she throws a spear to kill a
sacrificial animal.

•a. Sambulayang or PangalayPangatin- is a Samal-Badjaw dance in the

“Pangalay” style performed by the bride. A flag or a bridal curtain shields the
dancing tribe from the groom. As he follows, he keeps touching the hilt of his
“Kris” signifying his readiness to defend the bride. The carrier of the bamboo
pole to which the flag or the bridal curtain is tied also wears a “Kris” for the
same reason.
•b. Salip -of the Kalinga Tribe where the groom beats the gong while the
bride, bearing oil pots symbolizing an even – flowing, harmonious marital
life, follows with step phrased to connote obedience. The groom dances
imitating the movements of a rooster at love-play to attract and seize his lady-
love.
 Primitive dances three divisions
3. Play and Recreational
•Dances were doe for sheer pleasure in physical movement or to
show off the performer’s athletic prowess and endurance.
Constant source of delight among the people were their various
occupations and numerous animals in the community. These they
love to imitate in their dances. Examples of dances of these
nature are:
•a. SayawTu Baud or pigeon dance is an imitation of the flight of
pigeons from hunters, stalking them.
•b. Ninanogis an imitation of the movements of the hawk as it
pounced on its quarry (game pursued by the hunter).
•c. Kinutanor ant dance, showed a man dancing and gesticulating
to another person who had been attacked by ants.
 Primitive dances three divisions
• d. Camote or Yam Dance is imitated movements of a man
attempting to steal “camote”.
• e. Pinuhag is imitated movements of a bee gathering honey.
• f. Inamo-amo is mimicked the movements of a monkey as it
bounced and gambled about.
• g. LangkaBaluang is mimicked an ill-tempered monkey at
once funny intimidating.
• h. IgalKussah depicts a wild boar trying to crack a coconut by
lustily tossing it about. The coconut keeps from cracking no
matter what. Completely exasperated, the board (always a
male performer) kicks the coconut. The dancer’s antics create
hysterical excitement.
 PRIMITIVE DANCES AROUND THE WORLD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTKKnhmNMu0