T'nalak weaving

• Art is a cultural universal used to manifest and preserve beliefs, customs, and traditions.

T'nalak

• T’nalak is a woven textile made from abaca fibers.
• The T’boli people of South Cotabato, Mindanao traditionally craft it.
• It is used for rituals, offerings, festivals, and barter trade.
• It also serves as a bridal price and for healing sacrifices.
• Fu Dalu, the spirit of the abaca tree, is believed to guide the weaving process.
• Strict weaving practices include not letting the cloth touch the ground and weavers remaining in one place; children and non-weavers are not allowed to touch the fibers.

Color Symbolism in T'nalak

• White (Bukoy) represents the sky and untimely death.
• Red (Hulo) signifies violent deaths.
• Black (Hitem) represents peaceful, natural death.

Patterns and Meanings in T'nalak

• Hafak Menaul depicts a wild eagle stretching its wings.
• Bwengkel represents a live crocodile, symbolizing an illicit love affair.
• Eben Lobun signifies nimbus clouds or a baby sling in the sky.
• Mugul represents a place where souls go after a natural death.

Batok

• Batok is the art of tattooing where the human body serves as the surface where pigments are applied.

Bisayans

• Bisayans are known as Pintados, with tattoos serving as their clothing and ornaments.
• Tattoos symbolized manliness and bravery for men and enhanced beauty for women.

Kalinga & Butbut Tribe

• Pambabatok uses Batok/Whatok
• Ullit, Amamtum, and Ullalim
• Mambabatok/Manwhatok is a tattoo practitioner.
• Apo Whang-Od Oggay is the oldest traditional tattoo practitioner in Kalinga, Philippines.
• The Pambabatok technique involves hand-tapping with a lemon thorn needle attached to a small bamboo stick, using a mixture of water and soot for ink.

Significance of Batok

• Batok is referred to as the "cutaneous bodily archive".
• Tattoos served as a repository of stored memories, experiences, and information.
• Batok motifs include warriors, voting, weaving instructions, and wealth, with traditional designs featuring symbols of nature and geometric figures.

Symbolic Meanings of Batok

• Served a rite of passage
• Used as a body decoration
• Offered protection against evil
• Signified Religious/political affiliations
• Signified bravery
• Showed Status/affluence
• Indicated Gender: Women - Beauty, marriage eligibility, fertility, and Men - Triumph in war.
• "Emben a Whatok" or invented tattoos are for tourists
• "Whatok sa Awi" or tattoos of the past, are for tourists for decorative purposes only.

Batik

• Batik is the art of cloth decoration
• "Batik" comes from the Indonesian root word "titik" or "tik," meaning "a little bit" or "a drop."
• "Ambatik" means "a cloth with little dots," while "wax writing" refers to the process.
• Processes of Batik include Stamping, Painting, Printing, Embroidery, and Written
• Javanese designs found in 12th-century temple sculptures in Java
• Batik was considered one of the "high arts" studied by the cultured Javanese gentry, with designs deeply meaningful to the artisan.

Dance

• Dance is defined relatively and varies from one society to another.
• It is patterned and rhythmic bodily movements, normally performed to music, and used for communication and expression.

Elements of Dance

• Body: The physical instrument of expression in dance, including posture, shape, and body parts involved.
• Action: Any human movement included in the performance, such as locomotor (walking, running) and non-locomotor (twisting, bending) movements.
• Space: The area in which the body moves, including direction, level, pathways, and proximity to others.
• Time: The rhythm, speed, duration, and phrasing of movement.
• Energy: How the movement is executed, including the quality or force behind it (sharp, smooth, tense, relaxed).

Dance and Culture

• Dance connects people and shows their culture.
• It changes over time.
• It reflects many parts of society.
• It is a form of communication.
• It shows cultural differences.
• Dance can show political ideas.

Traditional Dances

• Pagdiwata is a Thanksgiving dance performed by the Tagbanwa dedicated to Mangindusa.
• It expresses gratitude for a good harvest and well-being.
• It is held three times a year and led by a ritual practitioner called babaylan.
• Cañao is a ritual dance of Cordillerans used for Thanksgiving and Offering, Life Cycle Celebrations, Political Gathering, and Pre- and Post-Conflict Rituals.
• Animal Sacrifice: Pigs, chickens, and carabaos are sacrificed as symbolic offerings; examination of the animal's bile sac determines luck.
• A blemish-free bile sac signifies good luck, if not it serves as a warning and another ritual may be needed.

Bharatanatyam

• Bharatanatyam means (Bhava + Raga + Tala) + Natyam (dance).
• It is the oldest classical dance heritage of India
• Its expression includes Bhava (emotion), Raga (melody), and Tala (rhythm).
• It originated in Hindu temples of Tamil Nadu and associated with Devadasi culture
• Devadasis = “Servants of the Lord”
• It was banned in 1910 by British colonial rule.
• It was originally performed by female temple dancers
• It features low squat stances with intricate arm and neck movements
• It involves hand gestures (mudras): 11 symbolic gestures in pure dance
• Facial expressions convey mood and story.

Bharatanatyam dance performances

• Alirippu means to adore with flowers is performed at the beginning of the recital
• Jatiswaram is a rhythmic dance form focusing on the execution of the movements, and expressing emotions.
• Shabdam dance is with accompanying song in adoration of the supreme being.
• Tillana is a rhythmic dance performed at the end of the concert.

Indigenous Dance of the Aetas

• Festive Dancing:
• Binabayani reflects bravery, heroism, and martial tradition.
• Borokil reflects their connection to the forest and hunting practices.
• Talbeng imitates animals of the region, particularly monkeys.
• Ceremonial Dance:
• Anituan captures the spirit who causes illness using a hypnotic spell.
• Pag aanito (Healing Ritual)
• Traditional Dance:
• Ehad (Planting Dance) shows how the aetas plant seeds on the hillside.
• Sayaw Palo-Palo (Butterfly Dance) shows the love of Aetas for nature.