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posted by Vacation Home Rentals on Jan 12

In Banuan, Batangas there is one dance that’s gaining a lot of respect & research- it’s the ‘Subli‘ traditional dance.This dance is one of the most popular dance in the Philippines and the favorite in Batangas. This dance is simply ceremonial in nature and this is performed as homage to the Holy Cross. The Holy Cross is known by the locals as the ‘Mahal na Poong Santa Krus’, and the Holy Cross plays an important role in the development of the dance. In fact, the Holy Cross is considered at the center of the dance and without the Holy Cross the dance will not materialize.

The Holy Cross plays an important role and its role includes;

. It act as the emblematic and the decorative installations

. The presentations and the other art forms that are connected to this dance will typically revolve around the wooden cross that is draped with the white fabric and this is similar to the stole that is placed on the Holy Cross of Jesus Christ that can be seen during Easter Sunday celebrations.

According to many literature on the subject, it was said that during the ancient times the natives who were living around the Taal Volcano area would typically plant these wooden crosses around the crater of the volcano and these natives would even submerge themselves in the waters of the crater just to ask the ‘Poon’ to save the them from the wraths of nature. Researchers and academics are still debating on the exact time this tradition started. They are all asking if this tradition has started even before the Spaniards came or when the Spaniards are already here in the country. In the end, the academics cannot get on a definite ending.

There were some documents that say that that this dance or the tradition originated some three hundred years ago in the barrio called ‘Dingin’ in Alitagtag, Batangas. According to Dr. Elena Mirano, the word ‘subli’ is from the old Tagalog word called ‘sobli’ meaning ‘salisi’ or the exchange of place. And this exchange of place is a prominent feature in the dance called ‘subli’ that is performed in most activities, festivals and celebrations. In the strictest sense, the ‘subli’ is the dance portion that is actually a devotion that is performed in honor of their patron, which is a large anubing wood that includes the face of the sun in silver at the center.

This icon which is the subject of this Philippine dance was actually discovered in the early stages of the Spanish rule and the area that is now known as the town of Alitagtag, Batangas. This icon is not only the patron for this town since this is also the patron of many towns in the area. The area is known for the long sequence of prayers which can be seen in verse, songs and dances and these are performed in the fixed sequence. The verses that are performed in the dance recounts the first journey of the manunubli of the early times as they thread the fields, the hills and the rivers in search of the miraculous cross.

The sections of the verse that are sung in the dance are sung by the participants to the fixed punto or the skeletal melody, and these are then elaborated in different ways by the many participating ‘subli’ troupe. Around five of the punto are usually used in the usual ‘subli‘ performance. The puntos may be divided further into many parts and patterns and these many patterns will usually involve one, two or even eight pairs of men and women. This number of pairs is adopted since these are the numbers that are often practiced in Bauan. The dance is known for the stances, the gestures and the movements of the male dancers that are dramatic and free-wheeling.

Some of the dramatic movements of the male subli dancers include;

. Leaping

. Striking the ground with the utilize of the bamboo clappers that are seized in both hands

. And other movements that imply the movements of the martial arts

Others see the ‘subli‘ as more than a Philippine folk dance, rather this is more of a ‘kaugalian’ that tells of the enduring belief and panata of the locals.

posted by Vacation Home Rentals on Jan 12

About Binasuan and it’s dance steps

Philippine dances in the Philippines are known for its creativity, and one such dance in the country that shouts creativity is the Binasuan. This dance is a local dance rooted in the culture of the Pangasinense people- people from the northern Philippine province of Pangasinan. In this province, the term ‘binasuan‘ stands for something. In the local dialect, this term refers to the use of a drinking glass. With that in mind it can be easy to deduce that the dance from this province is executed with the use of drinking glasses. To be more specific, this dance is popular and has its roots in Bayamabang, one of the towns in Pangasinan province.

What this dance demonstrates is elegant movements on the part of the dancer, balance and some amount of expertise. Dancing is done with the help of three glasses that are half-full with water, with the first glass on top of her head and the two other glasses on both palms of the hand. Balance and expertise is revealed when the dancer drills for a turn, sit or roll without slipping the water or dropping any of the three glasses to the floor. The typical arrangement in this dance calls for one girl though there will be times when three or more are called upon to perform.

As with other Filipino dances, this Binasuan dance from Bayambang will call for a costume, the right count and music and the formation of the dancers just before the dance is started.

. Costume. In terms of costume, the dance calls for the Balintawak costume with the tapis and the pañuelo.

. Music. The music used in this dance is composed of two parts and then danced to the tune of Pitoy Oras.

. Count. Measure is essential and in this dance one, two or three to a measure is utilized.

. Formation. The dance starts with the dancer or the dancers enters the hall from one side of the room, stops at the center then faces the audience.

The Binasuan dance will start that way, with the dancers coming at one side of the room and then moving to the center hall and then facing the audience. While they are moving towards the center of the hall, the music A is played for the first time. Dancing this local dance of the north requires some steps that should not be take out of the program otherwise the program will lose its identity.

The following are the common steps on how to dance this local tradition.

. Dancers start with the right foot and she should take eight waltz steps forward to the center of the hall. The glasses should be held in front and the elbows should be close to the waist. The right hand should be moved next to the chest and down the hips alternately as the left hand moves down at the hip level and goes up to the chest level in an alternating manner. The alternating movements of the two hands will go on for the next eight measures.

. Music A will then play for the second time and this will be the times when the dancer will dance sideward right and left alternately and doing this for eight times. The right hand will be raised to the head level and the left hand will be held to the waist as the dancer continues to waltz sideward to the right. The dancer will chance position with every measure. Again the movements of the left and the right hand will alternate upward and downward as with previous step.

. Music B of the list will then play and this will be the point when the dancer will begin on her right foot and she will take four waltz steps on a slope to the right. She then raises the right hand obliquely to head level with the left hand down to the hip for four measures. Hands once more shift upward and downward on alternating movements.

These movements are just the first half of the dance and a few more steps are required in order to complete the program. The Binasuan dance of the north will simply utilize the abovementioned steps and repeat these steps on the second half of the dance. At times, some new steps are introduced like the placing of weights at either the right or the left foot of the dancer, all with the intention of dancing gracefully without dropping the glass.

posted by Vacation Home Rentals on Dec 30

To the folks of Surigao del Norte, Itik-itik is the popular dance for them. Various dancers have different steps of the dance. Hinted from its name, the dance steps are likened to the way a duck walks. A duck or itik in Filipino walks in a choppy and short step manner. Water is also splashed on its back while walking. The dance is to attract mates.

It is from Sibay where Itik-itk originated according to beliefs. Sibay is a dance which is performed using the Dejado music. The Sibay, which originated from the neighboring islands in the Visayas, is also a bird dance. It is from Samar where Sibay came from as identified by Reynaldo Gamboa Alejandro, one of the authority in Philippine dances.

His identification is consistent with the book Fr. Ignacio Alzina wrote in 1668. Alzina is a Jesuit missionary who was assigned to Samar. In his book, he explained a well-known dance in Samar called Sabay as a dance that mimic the actions of flying birds. In his book, one of his illustrations has a caption which reads, “su danza para hombre y mujer.” When interpreted, the subtitle means dance intended for man and woman. The caption is fitting to the Waray amenudo dances’ characteristic.

It is from the towns of Carrascal, Cantillan, Lanuza, and Carmen where Itik-itik’s present from came from. The said towns are located in the province of Surigao del Norte which can be found in the Caraga Region.

The popular version of the dance was introduced by a lady named Kanang. This is according to a particular tale. The tale narrates that Kanang was fascinated by the ducks she saw from a pond nearby. Shen then attempted to mimic the actions of the birds. This happened when she was attending and dancing at a baptismal party. The other attendees got interested in her imitation of the birds so they also dance following her steps. After that, the dance and the step was handed down from geeration to generation.

There are many versions of the dance but the most popular version is the Itik-itik Surigaonon. Most of the versions of the dance are found in Visayas. Tibiao, Antique and Sibonga, Cebu has its versions of Itik-itik.