FILIPINO-AMERICAN CULTURAL ASSOCIATION OF NORTH SANDIEGO COUNTY

THE JUNE 6th PERFORMANCE

FIL-AM CULTURAL DANCE GROUP

On April, this year, the association had formed its own cultural dance group. The June 6th Fiesta is their first official group performance. They will be dancing in different occasions not only for the association's events but also in other places to promote the association and the culture of the Philippines as well, acting as ambassadors of goodwill.

The cultural dances that were performed represent the different regions of the Philippines starting from north to south.

Mrs. Fil-Am 2008 Jackie Ortega, emcee for this event, explains and describes the origin of the dance.

Banga
Tribe: Kalinga

"Banga" literally mean pots. The Banga or pot dance is a contemporary performance of Kalinga of the Mountain Province in the Philippines. This dance illustrates the languid grace of a tribe otherwise known as fierce warriors. Heavy earthen pots, as many as seven or eight at a time, are balanced on the heads of maidens as they trudge to the beat of the "gangsa" or wind chimes displaying their stamina and strength as they go about their daily task of fetching water and balancing the banga.

This popular dance of grace and balance comes from Lubang Island, Mindoro in the Visayas region. The term pandanggo comes from the Spanish word fandango, which is a dance characterized by lively steps and clapping that varies in rhythm in 3/4 time. This particular pandanggo involves the presence of three tinggoy, or oil lamps, balanced on the head and the back of each hand.

After a good catch, fishermen of Lingayen would celebrate by drinking wine and by dancing, swinging and circling a lighted lamp. Hence, the name "Oasiwas" which in the Pangasinan dialect means "swinging." This unique and colorful dance calls for skill in balancing an oil lamp on the head while circling in each hand a lighted lamp wrapped in a porous cloth or fishnet. The waltz-style music is similar to that of Pandanggo sa Ilaw.

ITIK-ITIK

The Itik-Itik dance is popular among the Visayan settlers of the province of Surigao del Norte. It has many variations of steps from which the dancers choose and combine. Its steps are similar to the movements of a duck (itik, in Filipino), as it walks with short, choppy steps and splashes water on its back while attracting its mate. The dance is believed to have originated from the dance Sibay danced to the Dejado music. The Sibay is a bird dance that came from neighboring Visayan Islands.

Tinikling

This 'Visayan' dance was found in Leyte where this dance originated. Dancers imitate the tikling bird's legendary grace and speed as they skillfully play, chase each other, run over tree branches, or dodge bamboo traps set by rice farmers. Hence it is named after the bird, tikling. this version of the dance is done between a pair of bamboo poles.

The older people claim that the 'Tinikling Ha Bayo' from which the tinikling dance evolved is more difficult to perform. It was originally danced between 'bayuhan', two wooden pestles used to pound the husks off the rice grain.

A courtship dance of the Bilaan of Davao del Sur imitating forest birds during the mating season. Two richly-plumed male birds eye three female birds. The females scurry to safety, burying their heads under their wings (represented by the malong, a tubular cloth), but the aggressive males follow them wherever they go.

On May 30th, a dress rehearsal was held in the afternoon, at the Luiseno Park in Vandegrift Blvd. cor. Douglas. The group had been rehearsing since latter part of April in preparation for the June 6th performance.