Tinikling Dance

Tinikling involves two people hitting bamboo poles on the ground and against each other in coordination with one or more dancers who step over and in between the poles in a dance. It originated in Leyte among the Visayan islands in central Philippines as an imitation of the tikling bird.

Once taught simply as a folk dance from the Philippines, it has recently become popular in the sports curricula of elementary schools as it involves skills similar to jumping rope. It’s now a new, fun form of aerobic exercise that also improves spatial awareness, rhythm, foot and leg speed, agility, and coordination.

Tinikling: Philippine Dance

There are now so many tinikling products available in the United States. Not just tinikling music CDs and dance-steps instruction DVDs, but also tinikling sticks and cords! For the authentic experience, you must find thick bamboo poles!

Tinikling Design

Here is the audio introduction.

Click here to read the transcripts of what she’s saying.

Cariñosa (Philippine Dance)

The cariñosa is a Philippine folk dance of Hispanic origin. It is closely associated with the island of Panay and the Visayas region in general. The word cariñosa is from the Spanish cariñosa meaning the affectionate one. Most Filipina women can be described as karinyosa.

This is a courtship dance that portrays acts of flirtation between a man and a woman. The dancers perform steps resembling hide-and-seek movements. The woman holds a handkerchief or sometimes a fan.

Continue reading “Cariñosa (Philippine Dance)”

Mazurka Boholana

Mazurka Boholana is a Spanish-inspired ballroom dance from the Bohol province of the Philippines. The country was under the rule of Spain for more than three hundred years, during which time local culture was markedly influenced. Although the mazurka is the Polish national dance, it was wildly popular  throughout Europe in the 19th century and even in colonized lands overseas. The Philippine dance is ordinarily performed by men and women partners.

Continue reading “Mazurka Boholana”