Cariñosa

Cariñosa is a well-known folk dance which means loving and affectionate. It is introduced in the
Philippines by the Spaniards in the 16th century. In honor of Maria Clara, a main character of Dr.
Jose Rizal's novel called " Noli Me Tangere" when translated in English means "Touch Me Not". The
female dancer portray a shy and modest disposition. It was also nominated as the next national
dance in the Philippines up to the present time.

This is a kind of dance wherein it shows the style of courtship between a man and a woman during
Spanish times. This dance steps also resembles hide and seek actions. The woman holds a fan
while the guy holds his handkerchief.

Costume and Props

Cariñosa usually consist of a male and a female, who face each other when dancing. It can also be
performed by one group but they have to be in partners. Female must have a fan and the guy must
have handkerchief.
The girl wears " patadyong" with a soft "panhuelo". The boy wears "barong Tagalog" or "kamisa de
chino" in any colors.

How to Dance Cariñosa

In this dance, performers should refrain from touching each other, but their steps shows the guy's
interest to the female while the latter is shy and wants to be chased.

Female dancer uses fan. She will be using it to fan herself with the beat while dancing. They glance
at each other from a handkerchief as if they were playing hide-and-seek, where each partners hold
the corners of the hanky while blocking eachother's face. exchange flirtatious waves and gestures
and then the girl will kneel down with one knee and fans herself while the guy dances around the
other and then vice versa.

The basic step of Cariñosa is similar to waltz and the music is 3/4 signature. When the music starts,
the female holds her skirt with one or both hands, swaying the fabric of her skirt at the side while
moving around the floor by swaying to the side with a left foot, then stepping your right next to the
left foot.
If you want to learn the dance here are the basic steps that you can follow:

Step 1: 3 step turn and bow facing each other

Step 2: 3 step and point Right-Left direction in 16 counts

Step 3: Touch Step - 3 step forward in 2 count. 4 touch steps, change position then repeat

Step 4: * 3 step forward and back to back

* 4 touch steps
* Change position and repeat the first two on step 4 above
Step 5: * 3 step forward
* Girl opens her fan and will start fanning herself
* 4 touch steps

* Change position and repeat the first three on step 5 above.

Step 6: * 3 steps forward

* Boy moves forward then kneel

* Girl taps the boy with her fan and she will do 4 touch steps
* Change position
* Girl will kneel as they look each other and the boy will do 4 touch steps

Step 7: * 3 steps forward

* Girl gets the handkerchief from the boy

* Both will move the hanky up and down four times

* Chang position then repeat the first three in step 7

Step 8: Dance with grace

SAKUTING

Sakuting is a Philippine folk dance that interprets a fight between Ilocano

Christians andnon-Christians. This mock fight between rival folks is traditionally
performed duringChristmas at the town plaza or performed house-to-house as a
form of traditional carollingshow. Dancers perform the Sakuting to receive
presents or the local money called Aguinaldo.
Philippines Folk Dances as Fight Dances
Most Filipino dances tell a story. In the Sakuting, it is a story of Ilocano Christians
and non-Christians fighting during the Spanish colonial rule in the country.
(Ilocanos are the peopleliving in the Ilocos region in Northern Philippines.) This
regional ethnic dance celebratescultural heritage and national artistic pride by
portraying Philippine fighting art as a ritualdance.
Regional History
Sakuting came from the Abra province in the northern part of the island of Luzon.
TheIlocos Region officially includes Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and
Pangasinan. Abra,Mountain Province and Benguet were also parts of the region
before separating as theCordillera Administrative Region. All these provinces are
home to the Ilocanos who arenatives of the lowlands and the Tingguian tribes who
are natives of the mountain areas.
Origin
During the Spanish colonisation (1520 to 1898), the garrison established to protect
theIlocanos who converted to Christianity became a site for raids by the mountain
tribes. Andthe Sakuting dance interprets this struggle between the lowland natives
who becameChristians and the non-Christian natives from the mountain region.
Sakuting incorporatesthe traditional Filipino martial arts called Arnis by using
two sticks as extension of the armsto fight the opponent. Before the Spanish era in
the Philippines, Filipinos commonly used Arnis for self-protection. The Spanish
banned its practice, forcing Filipinos to utilise it inother forms. They openly
retained the practice by using Arnis movements as part of folkdances like the
Sakuting. While showing the story between the Christians and non-Christian
natives, the stylised fight sequence revived the use of Arnis as this dance isactually
a two-stick Arnis exercise set to an upbeat music.

The Sakuting
Description
The sakuting dance, originally performed solely by boys, portrays a mock fight using sticks. A sakuting
stick is striped or bamboo and is about 1½ feet long and tapered at the end, like a candle. Its original use
was for combat training. During the playful folk dance, two teams, one representing each side, circle and
clash bamboo sticks in a gentle imitation of martial arts sparring. Its dance form is the comedia (a
theatrical dance, also called moro-moro) and features a battalla (choreographed skirmish).
History
Sakuting (pronounced seh-KOOH-tihng) comes from the province of Abra, home to the Ilocano people
native to the lowlands and the Tingguian mountain tribes. The Spanish established a garrison to protect
Ilocanos who converted to Christianity, and their capital city, Bangued, from raids by the mountain tribes.
Introduced by Spanish missionaries as religious ritual, the sakuting dance portrays this struggle between
the lowland Christians and the non-Christian mountain people. Sakuting’s origins, however, appear much
older.
Origin
Arnis, the traditional Filipino art of stick fighting, employed readily available weapons by simple people
seeking self-protection. The occupying Spanish banned the practice of Arnis, forcing it into secret.
Filipinos found ways to openly retain the practice by making the Arnis movements part of folk dances.
Sakuting is actually a two-stick Arnis exercise set to music.
The Music
The traditional music styles for sakuting portray the dual influences of China and Spain. Its staccato
inflections and rhythmic tapping suggest a strong Chinese influence. The music itself is played by a
rondalla, a native string ensemble of plectrum (plucked with tortoiseshell fingerpicks) instruments
influenced by Spanish stringed instruments, that includes bandurria, laud, octavina, mandola, guitarra and
bajo de uñas, or double bass.
The Dance
Dancers use one and two sticks throughout the performance to tap the floor and each other’s sticks.
Dance steps are a combination of marching and small forward or sideways shuffle steps while circling
and interchanging positions with other dancers. Some modern interpretations are more athletically
demonstrative of the martial arts, while others add ballet movements. Dancers twirl the sticks, hitting them
against opponents’ sticks, displaying a mock fight.
Performances
The Ilocano people customarily perform the sakuting dance as part of Christmas celebrations. Performed
at the town plaza or from house to house, the dance allows the opportunity for spectators to give the
dancers aguinaldos—gifts of money, drinks, fruits and refreshments prepared especially for Christmas
much like the English custom of caroling.