Philippine Dance History & Cultural Influences

• Dance is a discipline that involves movement and self expression

Introduction

• Dance can be a way to bond and share talents with the rest of the community.
• Indigenous dances in the Philippines have been influenced and molded by various experiences and events in the community.
• War dances of the people of the mountain province reflect community experiences.
• With the arrival of colonizers, dancing traditions and forms changed, and many indigenous ritualistic dances were adapted to venerate figures of Christianity.
• Social dances were influenced by European trends.
• Examples of dances influenced by colonizers are pandango, polka, and the ballroom dance rigodon de honor.
• The American occupation introduced many dance forms, beginning contemporary dance.
• The Philippines was exposed to Afro-Cuban dance forms such as tango, samba, mambo, and cha-cha.
• Foxtrot, boogie woogie, mashed potato, and twist were popular dances and made their way to the different dance halls.
• European classical ballet was introduced in the early twentieth century.
• Filipinos were taught ballet, and the first generation of Filipino ballet dancers, teachers, and choreographers passed their skills and this is the basis for the continuing development of Philippine contemporary dance.

Aerobic Dance

• Aerobic dance is a dance routine made into an exercise program, usually accompanied by upbeat pop music.
• A formal aerobic dance class has three phases: warm up, aerobic dance, and cool down exercises.
• Variations include jazzercise, aero hiphop, ballroom dancing, and belly dancing.

Ballet

• Ballet is both dance and theater art as a dance technique that follows a strict set of moves and performance, originating in Europe.
• There are different contemporary reiterations of ballet form, these being modern ballet, opera ballet, and folkloric ballet.
• Modern ballet uses traditional techniques and style, incorporating a contemporary and sometimes experimental attitude.
• Alice Reyes (b.1942), is the founder of Ballet Philippines and a pioneer of modern dance.
• Examples of her works include Limang Dipa and Beautiful Girls.
• Opera ballet combines dance and song.
• Rock ballet is a more modern version of opera ballet.
• Mahal (1975) was created by Abel Labrador, Mon Faustmann, Rahissa lahat-wala, and Julie and Rose Borromeo.
• Folkloric ballet is performance that presents subjects and themes based on the art and culture of a community.
• Examples include Agnes, Tapestry/Bayanihan.

Folk Dance

• Folk dances differ depending on various cultural groups throughout the country as it changes from region to region.
• Mimetic dances are folk dances that imitate animals, such as the Kadal Bleah of the T’boli.
• Mimetic dances copy communal activities like planting and harvesting.
• Ethnic groups use these traditional dances to celebrate their identity and are based on their literature, legends, and beliefs.

Street Dance

• Street dance describes vernacular dances that developed organically within a community.
• The dance began in urban spaces, such as parks and streets.
• Early forms of street dancing gained popularity during the late 1970s.
• Street dance is improvisational and social in nature, encouraging interaction between audience members and other dancers.
• A popular street dance routine is hip-hop.
• This dance form is popular with the youth.