COURTSHIP DANCE
KURATSA COURTSHIP DANCE The Final Level of the Kuratsa Festival 2008, an annual competition of the Kuratsa, a traditional courtship dance from Samar and Leyte of the Eastern Visayan region of central Philippines. The Kuratsa Festival is produced by the Runggiyan Social Development Development Foundation, Inc. in partnership with the Province of Leyte, the Pintados Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals, the Leyte Provincial Tourism and Investment Promotions Promotions Council, the Leyte Heritage Society, the University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban College and the UP Runggiyan. The Kuratsa Festival is held in June during the Tacloban City fiesta week celebrations and open to all kuratsa dance enthusiasts. The Kuratsa dance is al so a traditional fund raising event. Proceeds from the Kuratsa's "abwag" or "gala" go to the scholarship fund of the Runggiyan SDFI for educational assistance to its child scholars of basic education.
APAYAO COURTSHIP DANCE The Apayao Courtship Dance is performed by a couple. The woman wears a ceremonial blanket. The pair raise and wave their arms and hands to mimic the flapping wings of a fl ying bird. The man performs movements that are reminiscent of a fighting cock that is preening, strutting, and flying off the ground.
RELIGIOUS DANCE
PHILIPPINE RELIGIOUS DANCE Region was in the hands of the europeans and not the americans. and they have the historical documents in their archives. the history of the land is connected to t heir european history from the phoenicians to the greeks to the romans to the turks and then the british. of course somewhere along the line there were the persians, assyrians and babylonians...
FANDANGO RELIGIOUS DANCE In prehistoric times, the dance is part of re ligious ceremonies. Dances addressed to gods who approach the world as the god of rain, wind, and seasons, where the movements of the dance is a clone of an existing phenomenon. With the conquest by the Spaniards, the revue such worship was banned. Spanish people generally promote dance a mong the European upper class Filipinos who fills his spare time with European dances. These dances are Fandango, Capatendo, and accompanied by castanets Curacha. Dances of other Europeans in the Philippines are introduced Polkabal, Contraganza, and the Paseo. French dance called Rigodon became a national favorite dance during the 18th century and the 19th.
FESTIVAL
DANCE
BACOLOD MASSKARA DANCE
FESTIVAL
Bacolod City, which has earned the moniker as the City of Smiles was invited by Andong Mayor Kim Hwi-Dong to join the Korean festivities. The invitation for the Masskara Festival dancers to perform was personally delivered by the Andong Mayor to Bacolod Mayor Bing Leonardia.
ATI-ATIHAN DANCE FESTIVAL
The Ati-Atihan, held every January in the town of Kalibo in the province of Aklan on the island of Panay, is the wildest among Philippine fiestas. Celebrants paint their faces with black soot and wear bright, outlandish costumes as they dance in revelry during the last three days of this weeklong festival.
OCCUPATIONAL DANCE
BUHAY SA BUKID DANCE
In an agricultural country like the Philippines, the ricefield is practically the everyday-life space for many Filipinos. The occupational dance called Buhay sa Bukid (Life on the Farm) features working in the ricefield.
MAG-ASIK DANCE
The Tiruray of Cotabato highlight their hard work in a dance named M ag-asik (sowing seeds). The B'laans meanwhile have the M aral which is a series of dances depicting the stages in upland rice planting. It starts from the mabah, the farmer's search for the kaingin (swidden) area; the almigo or clearing of the forest; the amla or the planting stage which ends with the kamto, the harvest by women. Upland rice planting is also the subject of a Manobo dance named Talapak . The talapak is a unique planting stick used to dig a hole where the grain or seeds are placed.