Philippine dance

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full, after victory in battle as well as for driving away evil spirits and asking for wealth. The Bagobo pamalu- gu is a ritual bath in the river where dancers are sprinkled with water by a priestess. The Mansaka munsayaw is a ceremony presided over by a man disguised as a female shaman to attract the diwata. The Talaingod baboy is a dance performed by a village shaman using a sacrificial pig. Among the Manobo are the sinuyad, a ritual where the diwata heals the sick through a dancing priestess, and the sinundo/sinungga, a dance exorcism of a disease-bearing evil spirit. The sinaliling is a ritual where a baylan requests a spirit to transfer the disease of a person to the sacrificial chicken and some eggs. The say-am is a major feast where a priestess com- municates with the spirits. The manganito is a ceremo- nial element of this ritual. The dalidog is for warriors who feel protected by the bloodthirsty war god Tagbu- saw. Captured enemies are sacrificed. Today, the dance is a sublimation of the bloody rite. The Tagbanua runsay, which floats offerings on a raft to the deities of the sea, is done every third night after the last full moon of the year, by a medium and others. The tarek is like the tugatak, karatong and tegupat, and is a babaylan or priestess dance. The diwata/pagdiwata is a main ritual, led by a priestess who calls on the great spirit, Magindusa. It involves dances, chants, music, and healing sequences. Another Tagbanua ritual is the inim, a sequence in the diwata where the priestess drinks tabad (rice wine) aftet the spirits have "drunk." Public dancing follows. The Subanon practice the following: the bolang- bolang, a sacrificial rite where participants move around a pole in supplication; the lapal, a ritual where a medium asks for permission to make a forest clearing; the binua- bua, a shaman dance and rite performed for barren women; and the buklog, the most important ritual of the Subanon, which is celebrated to give thanks for a good harvest, to celebrate shared prosperity, or to deflect ill- ness or misfortune. In this elaborate ritual, a whole com- munity dances in a circle around a pole that is pounded against a mortar below a high suspended floor where everyone congregates and dances on. Food and wine are offered to and shared with, the spirits, accompanied by incantations from the shaman. The communal dance progresses counterclockwise, the dancers stepping side- ways, and over and under the first foot (the right), assuming a very celebratory mood which contrasts with the serious mien of the babaylan. In the Mandaya anita baylan, a female shaman in a trance chants and shuffles around the sick, trying to contact the Mandaya environmental gods, whose pre- sence is induced by the dancing, gong, and drum play-

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ing, and chanting. The same ritual is practiced among the Mansaka where a male shaman leads the sacrifice of a chicken and uses a human skull. Later, young female onlookers dance. The Badjao pagjin/sabut is a ritual dance to appease the spirits called apo-jin, and is held three times a year during the full moon. It also prays for a good catch, easy childbirth, long life, peaceful death, or a happy trip to heaven. There are also ritual dances of hispanic influence. The sayaw sa obando of Bulacan features men and women dancing on the streets during the procession of the images Santa Clara, San Pascual Baylon, and the Nuestra Senora de Salambao either to ask for children, husbands, or wives. The turumba sa Birhen of Laguna is a procession by devotees dancing to petition or thanking the Virgin for diverse reasons, among them relief for the sick. In the sanghiyang of Cavite, performers walk over live coals after a series of prayers. The sinulog also referred to as sinug or sinurog, is regarded as the premier folk religious dance in the Visayas. The Cebuano ohong-ohong is a festival dance performed in long formation, and accompanied by a song which may be sung by the audience. The gapnod is a worship dance of Sibulan, Negros Oriental, that begins with a reenactment and celebration of the dis- covery of the image of San Antonio de Padua, patron saint of Sibulan, by a fisher, and ends with a fluvial procession along the coast. • R. Obusan

Social dancing is principally performed among ethnic or hispanized groups to celebrate the land- marks in the cycle of life, such as births, baptisms, and weddings; to mark harvests of rice or fish, victory in war, and in the case of Christian areas, the feasts of patron saints or the visit of important personages. Some of the earliest examples of social dances among the indigenous groups are the dinnuyya of the Ifugao and the among and palok of the Kalinga. With a monotonous, steady tempo provided by percussion instruments and the simplest of steps, these dances invite participation from the crowd. The Mandaya of Davao Oriental dance the gimbaw at informal gatherings to the beat of a drum of the same name. On the island of Cagayan de Sulu, the Jama Mapun dance the lunsay, a community dance of varying tempo, from dusk to dawn. The Tagbanua of Palawan dance the andardi on special occasions. It is a moderately paced dance with simple steps and repeated figures.

AMERICAN SOCIAL DANCE. Teenagers perform the twist, a popular social dance In the 1960s. (Lopez Museum Collection)

The Spaniards brought not only Christianity, but also the ballroom dances of Europe in the 16th century. Dances like the fandango, jota, and habanera were introduced by the colonizers, and adapted to local taste and conditions, with almost every region or town evolving their own versions of these dances. There are versions of the fandango in Ilocos Norte, the Visayas, and the Tagalog region. The jota can be batangueiia, bicolana, cagayana, ilocana, pangasinan. The mazur- ka can be boholana, de jaen, or mindorena. All these are danced during town fiestas and religious holidays, as well as in purely social gatherings such as wed- dings, baptisms, and birthdays. Eventually, other European dances were introduced to the Philippines. Important social events occasioned the performances of such imports like the rigodon (France), the redova (Czechoslovakia), the polka (Bohemia and Czechoslovakia), the schottische (Germany), the ba-Ingles (England), and the lanceros (French and English, by way of America). These dances were brought over by visiting foreigners and returning Filipino students. Although the lower classes were barred from so- cial interactions with the Spaniards and mestizos dur- ing the Spanish colonial period, they nevertheless copied what they saw of the new dances and impro-

SONG DANCE

vised the rest. The schottische becatne the escotis and the chotis, the polka became polka sa nayon or polka sala, and the fandango became pandanggo sa ilaw, and pandanggo sa sambalilo. The lower classes also produced dances in the Spanish style and manner, but purely Filipino in character such as the balitaw, sinisi- ki, magkasuyo, karakal, maramyon, kuradang, mag- tipan, and kuratsa. The American occupation, with its sweeping insti- tutional changes, brought with it a new concept in social dancing. Social dance became its own reason for being and Filipinos absorbed the new dance forms with the same ease that they absorbed everything else. Social dance in the Philippines has since closely fol- lowed American trends. In the 1920s, Filipinos danced the charleston; dur- ing the 1930s, they did the jitterbug and some South American styles; by the 1940s and 1950s they were adept at the mambo, samba, and cha-cha. The 1950s also brought the boogie-woogie and countless rock 'n' roll styles. The 1960s saw the twist, frug, camel walk, shy tuna, aqua velva, escalator, shiminy and boogalou. Recently, nationalism has renewed interest intra- ditional dance forms. Many dancers and choreo- graphers now incorporate movements and Filipino traditions of social dance in modern choreography. Thus, jota and pandanggo movements have been incorporated in Alice Reyes' Amada and Julie Borromeo's Zagalas de Manila. • D. Bercades

References: Alejandro 1978; Amilbangsa 1983; Bocobo-Olivar 1972; Nimor 1990; Orosa-Goquingco 1980; Ravelo and Beran 1972; Reyes-Aquino 1953-1975; Ylanan and Ylanan 1974.

SONG DANCE

A song dance is performed to the words of a song whose meaning is often acted out in gestures and other movements. The songs may describe a commun- ity's history, character, and traditions. The Tagbanua of Palawan dance the andardi, whose performers sing and dance to the beat of drums and other percussion instruments. Although a festival dance, the andardi is also performed to while away the dancer's time. The I unsay is a song and dance ritual in Jolo, Sulu. Similarly, the sua-sua (literally an orange or pomelo plant) is performed with a song. The dalling-dalling is a courtship song dance popular among young people: in the song, the boy may say that he has no peace of mind while away from his love, and the girl may respond that her love' will never change though they are miles away from each other.

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Among the dances of the Tagalog are one in which a man and woman act out a courtship. The Tagalog of Tayabas, Quezon, perform the abaruray, sometimes called tagayan, hapayan, and pandanggo sa baso. Abaruray is a contraction of the words "aba" and "ruray." Aba is "hey" or "hail." Ruray is the nickname of Aurora. In this dance, a woman offers a drink to visitors to signal the beginning of dancing and singing. Kaninong Anak Ito? is popular among children. The children carry a ''baby," whom they pretend to find lying beside an owl on the grass, and whose mother they look for later. The Tagalog lerion is performed in barrio Parang, Marikina, to the tune of "Leron-leron Sinta." "Bahay Kubo" is arranged for children who sing about a nipa hut with a garden full of eggplants, beans, gourds, peanuts, etc. Paruparong bukid imitates the movements of the butterfly to whom the lady of the song is compared. In the balitaw, popular among the Tagalog and Cebuano, dancers sing and mime the lyrics to the accompaniment of a guitar, harp, or flute. In words studded with images, the male offers his love to the female who studiously wards off the attention being lavished upon her. If the dancer-singers are good, the balitaw may last several hours. The dancers stop only when one has outsung all the others. The palmerito (small hands) of Janiuay, Iloilo, is about a crab. The inday na kunday of Leyte is a courtship dance performed during social gatherings with a song accompaniment. The gayong-gayong of Aklan and Capiz tells about a man choking on a piece of adobo (a native dish) and asking for help to dislodge it from his throat. The pinggan-pinggan pino of Bohol, sung alternately by a boy and a girl, is a courtship dance in which the boy keeps a small saucer in his pocket as a gift to his loved one. The lawiswis kawayan (the sound of wind in the bamboo) was popularized by the people of Samar and Leyte but is also performed in Davao by Visayan settlers. In Marinduque, the putong (to crown) is per- formed in honor of a special guest or a birthday cele- brant. The singers sing the first part but dance the crowning portion of the song. The people of Cagayan sing and dance the pinta- tatoo cu ta futu cao ("pondering within my heart") to tell about a girl who refuses to accept a returning suitor. The Ilocano like to name their song dances after their loved ones. Examples are manang biday, rogelia in Pangasinan, sainita in Nueva Viscaya, and pastora, where a boy pleads and kneels before Pastora. In the basulto of Pampanga, one verse is usually danced and the next sung. A town inspired the sa banwa sang Buenavista of Bohol and Iloilo. It tells of two unmarried sisters from

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the town of Buenavista. When the youngest gets mar- ried, the eldest cries; the younger sister consoles the other with assurances that she will someday find her own husband. • L.A. Gabao

SPANISH DANCE

Many Filipino folk dances have their roots in the Spanish jota, paso doble, fandango, verdiale, chotis, and sevillana. Spanish influence is strongest in urban or Creole dances, also known as bailes criollos de Filipinas or bailes de cabecera (big town dances), less in the rural folk dances or bailes de sementera, and least in the bailes de la montana (mountain dances). Introduced in the 16th century, Spanish dances became models of local choreographic inspiration among Filipinos. Cleric and lay missionaries, and fami- lies of bureaucrats, soldiers, and settler-traders intro- duced the basic steps, music, and forms of what later became Filipino folk dances. These choreographic con- cepts were assimilated by Filipinos and mixed with whatever dances they already had. The pasakalye, an exhibition dance and song, was the first popular Spanish dance, and was integrated as the paso doble into the komedya's dagger-and-sword fight sequences. Early dances were the sakuting, mag- lalatik, and calesa (later known as caleseras). Dances depicted specific forms of the paseo, with the sombrillas (umbrellas), abanicos (fans), bastones (canes), mantillas (veils) and mantones de Manila (shawls of Manila), and palillos (bamboo or stick castanets). These later flavored love and courtship scenes in the sarswela, the romantic comedy with songs and dances. The most famous of the pasakalye (later paso do- ble) genre is the danza popular espanola, in the paso dobles toreros, such as espana cani, currito de la cruz, alma andaluza, el relicario, and cielo andaluz. The espana cani was and still is the representative Spanish dance. The chotis madrileno, complete with manton de Manila and paineta (comb) or pafioleta (shawl), and aba- nico (fan), became popular at the turn of the century in Manila, Iloilo, Vigan, and Zamboanga. The one-two- three step and beat of the chotis, and its grand-waltz steps gave way to the swagger of the colorful manton or the big a bani co. Like the paso doble, the chotis madri- leii.o that came with the traje de chula (which strong- ly influenced the ponyang traje de mestiza of the early 1900s) came to be loved by Filipinos, and eventually

became bilingual, in Spanish and TagalogNisayanl llocano. Examples are El Paypay de Manila and Neneng (a chotis balitaw). The most famous Spanish chotis are El Pichi, La Manuela, Manoletin, Monisi- ma, Mantoncito de Manila, La Rosa de Madrid, Soy de Madrid, and Madrid, Madrid, Madrid by Mexican composer Agustin Lara. The Spanish waltz preceded the chotis and pasa- kalye (or paso doble). The waltz step is found in almost all Filipino folk dances, and in the common ballroom dances of Filipino fiestas, saroas, te danzantes, and tertu- lias literario-musicales held by the rich. At the turn of the century, the paso doble was replaced by the Argentine tango as the national Filipi- no ballroom dance. There were variations in Rudolf Valentino movies as well as the Manuel Quezon dance-step impositions. But the jota, sevillanas anti- guas, navarras, and aragonesas persisted as danzas de exhibicion in fairs, verbenas (night festivals), and car- nivals, and in grand mansions up to the early 1970s. The four-part sevillanas reached the Philippines in the 17th century. The sevillanas antiguas became a native Creole dance or danza criolla known as Ia jota sevilla- na de panay.

SPANISH DANCE

Most of the danzas clasicas de Espana, danced to the compositions of Albeniz, De Falla, Granados, Ravel, Bizet, Tchaikovsky, and Mozart are based on the sevillanas. They have almost all the feet positions and figures of the ballet, and may be group, solo, trio, or couple dances. They usually depict a particular era of Spanish art and dress, like that of the Ia epoca goyescas from the styles of Francisco Goya, or de Ia era isabelina from the times of Queen Isabella II de Bour- bon or Kings Alfonso XII and XIII. Antonia Merce (aka La Argentina) was a great Spanish dancer of the 1920s and 1930s. She came to Manila to perform at the Metropolitan Theater (then known as Teatro Cervantes) and introduced the danza clasica espanola. Her vast repertoire of Spanish folk, classic, and popular dances included Filipino dances such as the carinosa, binasuan, and the local pandang- go. Merce was the first to introduce Filipino dance, then considered part of the Spanish and Latin Amer- ican dance repertoire, to the outside world.

SPANISH DANCE. Filipino folk dances, like the noche de gala, are modelled after Spanish originals.

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She met Rosa G. Jimenez Rivera of Iloilo, with whom she exchanged dances. Jimenez was born in the late 1880s in Iloilo of Spanish parents from Seville where she was known as La Filipina. As a child, she lived in Spain where she went on to become a profes- sional Spanish dancer and teacher. Most information on Spanish dance in the Philippines at the turn of the century comes from her. Jimenez Rivera also danced native dances such as the singkil and other Muslim dances, passing them on to Merce. She also performed Ifugao and Tinguian dances, and used the Spanish zapateado to measure the primitive steps and move- ments. After Merce's visit, Spanish dance enjoyed a bril- liant resurgence in Manolo Rosado, Manila's great Spanish dancer until the outbreak of WWII, and sever- al Filipinos who became local exponents of the dance. Rosado danced from 1953 to 1955 with the Spanish Ballet of Marinela de Montijo in Europe, and in 1956 with the company of Magda Briones in Mexico. He also danced in Vienna with the company of Kapps and Johannes. In the 1950s, Angelita Blanco and Juanita Garcia performed with Federico Elizalde's Manila Lit- tle Symphony.

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Before WWII, Jose Zarah of Portugal came to Man- ila with a Spanish troupe, stayed behind to perform at Palace Theater with Bebe Marcaida, and become an impresario-producer of bodabil and stage shows at Clover Theater into the 1960s. After the war, the danza espanola became popular in Iloilo and Bacolod, as the daughters of sugar hacien- da owners were sent to Spain to study. Of these, Anita Arregui, Baby Feria Gomez, and Maria Vicente Gamboa (aka Baby Bonin) opened schools in Bacolod. Milagros Seva de Cooper-Lopez, a student of Bonin, teaches in Bacolod. In Iloilo, Chloe Cruz Romulo opened a school whose students and danzarinas participated in Don Vicente Lopez's fiesta in Nelly Garden. She still teaches in Makati, Metro Manila. Ruben Nieto, who moved to Madrid in the 1970s, appeared in many Filipino films and choreographed Filipino-inspired folk dances for a number of Gloria

Romero films. He studied in Spain with Estampio, La Quica, Maria de Roman, Rosario and Paco de Reyes, and danced with Mariemma's Ballet in La Scala, Milan. Rose Borromeo was his long-time partner. She studied with La Quica after training in the United States. In 1985, they both danced a one-act Cannen in classical style, with Marilen and Lito Arellano, both students of Nieto. Other practitioners of Spanish dance included Conchita Sotelo, and Nieto's teacher, Finini Sabater. Other noted Spanish dancers who came to Manila with their troupes were: La Meri in 1937, Alegrias de Espana in 1960, Luisillo in 1962 and 1967, Jose Greco in 1965 and 1975, Lucero Tena in 1968, Antonio in 1971 and the Mexican castanet artist, Sonia Amelio in 1990. The most recent exponent of Spanish dance is Madrid-based Perla Primicias. Frequently in Manila, she often performs in the city and has reawakened interest in the classic danza espanola. Marien Gomez of Manila is a Spanish dancer of promise. • G.G. Rivera and B.E.S. Villaruz

References: Alejandro 1978; "CCP Dance Company to Feature R. Nieto," Bulletin Today 12 Feb 1976; Gomez-River (unpublished); Meri 1948; Morea Feb 1986; Orosa-Goquingco 1980; Quirino 1960; Tupas 1960; Villaruz 1980, July 1985; Vittucci 1990.

SUBLI

SURTIDO

References: Retana 1888; Reyes-Aquino 1935 (with Ramos), 1953; Rivera-Mirano et al 1989.

SURTIDO

Surtido means "assortment" and refers to dances which are an assembly of steps generic to a region or from the different regions of the Philippines. The surti- do becomes interesting because of the unpredictable shift of steps and rhythms. One of these steps is the haplik, a lively 16-measure combination of hops and three-step turns. The combination of typical melodic airs also heightens the attraction of the dance. The documented surtido dances are from the no- cos, Bicol, and the Visayas, and combines steps from these and the Tagalog regions. The 10-figure surtido from Bicol has a corresponding 10-part musical accom- paniment, and features a unique kiss-throwing se- quence. The surtido banna is a festival dance from Espiritu, Ilocos Norte; Banna was Espiritu's old name. The surtido cebuano from Bantayan, Cebu, was origi- nally danced in quadrille formation by a number of pairs referred to as cabeceras (head pairs) and costados (side pairs or "flanks"), and uses a fan as a hand property. The surtido norte combines the distinct steps and music of the Ilocos region and emphasizes the Ilocano kumintang gesture. The surtido samarefto combines eight figures from the well-loved pandan- guido, kuratsa, lubi-lubi, lawiswis kawayan, an marol, tinikling, inkoy-inkoy, and dos amigos. The other documented surtido dances are per- formed in quadrille formation and are danced in the manner of rigodon de honor. • C. G. Iftigo

References: Miel 1979; Reyes-Aquino 1966, 1976; Reyes- Tolentino 1927, 1946, 1990.

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TAP DANCE

Tap dance is an entertainment dance where the dancers tap with their toes and heels. When done with metal cleats, it plays up the tapping sound; when danced without, it shuffles with the soft-shoe. InGer- many, it is called the steptanz, the name by which it was known in the US in the early days, until it became popular as the tap dance in the 1930s. Tap dancing is most often associated with African- Americans. It is said that the "parent of tap dancing," Thomas Darmouth Rice, imitated an African-American man who improvised a song and antic, which Rice incorporated into his vaudeville act. Zip Coon (said to be Bob Farrel originally), a con- temporary of Rice, danced the leeve, as the style was also called. George Washington Dixon wrote Old Zip Coon which became Turkey in the Straw. As a clog, the tap dance was done to 6/8 rhythm like a "quick waltz in half time;" as a leeve, it was done to 2/4 or 414, a march time that later became the fox-trot tempo. Many minstrel troupes popularized the style invented by the Blackfaces, the greatest of whom was the legendary Bill Robinson or Bojangles. His movies with Shirley Temple made him world famous. Paul Draper is a recent classicist who danced to Bach or Couperin, and composed a choreographed sonata all to his own tap- ping. Although tap dance in the Philippines became popq.lar mainly through the movies of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, it was performed much earlier by minstrel troupes around the tum of the century. In the 1930s, the brothers Richard and Raymond Reynolds made a team and also taught their fellow Filipino vaude-