Kandingan
Singkil
Pangalay
Lunsay
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Like their brothers from central and northern
Philippines, Filipinos in the South are avid lovers of dance. The dances, particularly of
the Maguindanao, the Maranao, and the Taosug, are largely ceremonial and are often
accompanied by percussion instruments such as gongs and drums. The presence of
Indian influences, introduced no doubt by Hinduized Malays, is prominent in the dance
called Kandingan, a Taosug wedding
dance; in the Lanao dance Singkil,
performed in the presence of the Maranao royal family; in the Sagayan,
a Maranao and Maguindanao war dance recalling the exploits of the great Muslim warrior Bantugan; in the Pangalay,
performed with expressive hand movements in varied versions among the Tausog, Badjao and
Samal; in the Tahing Baila, a Yakan
dance for a bountiful fish catch; and in the Lunsay,
a popular Jama Mapun community song-and-dance number performed during wedding
celebrations.
(Source: Pobre, C.P., et al, 1978. Tuladan, The Philippine South.
Metro Manila, Philippines: The Executive Committee; 160pp.)
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SINGKIL
The Maranao
dance called Singkil is in the repertory of all Filipino dance
troupes. There are many interpretations of this dance. In 1958 the Bayanihan
Dance troupe started with a simple version and has since developed it into a theatrical
and stylized spectacle to the point of its becoming the troupe's signature piece. |
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According to Maranao
legend, the Singkil derives its name from the feat of a certain Princess
Gandingan. While she was walking in the forest, diwatas (fairies) caused
the earth to quake and shake the trees and rocks; Princess Gandingan, however, skipped
nimbly from one place to another so that her feet did not touch the fallen trees and
rocks. Originally, in Singkil (Maranao word for "getting a leg or foot
entangled in an object") a solo female performer danced in and out of crisscrossed
bamboo poles, keeping time to the syncopation of the poles, at the same time manipulating
two fans (apir). The dance had no music other than the beating of the poles
and had a moderate and static rhythm. In today's versions of the dance a retinue
follows the star performer skillfully skip in and out of crisscrossing bamboo poles that
are rhythmically clapped to the beat of an ensemble of kotiyapi (bamboo guitar), insi
(bamboo flute), kobing (harp), and tintikan (metal sticks).
Source: Alejandro, R.G., 1978. Philippine Dance: Mainstream and
Crosscurrents. Manila: Vera-Reyes, Inc.; 254pp.) |
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KANDINGAN
Performed at Tausog weddings in Jolo, the
Kandingan consists of figures and steps based on classical and
traditional Indian dance forms. Dancers perform with slightly bent knees turned
outward, fingers held stiffly together with the thumb outward and apart. There is no
definite number of steps, no sequence of figures, no lines of direction, no particular
foot and arm movements--only a total dependence on the ability and mood of the individual
dancer. Whereas Maranao society has no sanction for men and women dancing together,
the Tausogs in Kandingan require mixed dancing. The name of the dance is
derived from gandang, a musical instrument similar to a drum.
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LUNSAY
Lunsay, a game song-dance among the Jama Mapun of Cagayan de Sulu, is
performed during wedding celebrations. A group dance, it features a coil or spiral
of handholding male and female dancers who join in and drop out as the dance goes on.
An essential element of Lunsay is the clicking sound of a bamboo floor laid
crosswise over the original floor of the house in which the dance is performed.
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PANGALAY
Vera-Reyes Inc., 1978
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There are
various versions of the dance called Pangalay, popular among the
Badjao, Samal, and Tausog groups. The basic dance, with its expressive hand
movements, is sometimes performed with long silver or golden nails (called janggay)
attached to the dancers' fingers. Among the Badjao-Samal groups, a
Spanish-influenced Pangalay, a dance called Bulah-bulah, employs shell
or bamboo castanets. Another variation of the dance is one in which a girl performs
atop two bamboo poles borne on the shoulders of two men and is called Pangalay sa
Patong. |
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