GAHCL

Overview: Also Popularly called Bendian, this circle dance of Benguet of Mt. Province is restaged, keeping true to dance's context and meaning. Long known as a dance to celebrate the arrival of successful headhunters, the bendayan has taken a new face. It is part of every Benguet festivity with the circles, slowly giving way to other formations and interpretations.

Source: This document provides information on traditional dances from the Cordillera region of the Philippines Uploaded by Stephany Bumaat

Overview: Most common and popular dance among the Balangaos and Baliwons of Barlig, Natonin and Paracelis is the eagle dance. Three gong players can complete the set in an eagle dance. The male and female dancers dance eagle-like with their arms swaying in a circular direction. Peculiar in this dance is fast entry of the dancer, the bending of the body and knees and movements of buttocks as well. (See information source)

Source: Igorot Cordillera Bimaak Europe

Overview: Takik is a love, or courtship, dance that also originated from the Mountain Province. The takik is varies by region and can be faster or slower, with different movements depending on where you are from. This particular dance is based off the Bontoc region and is commonly performed during the Begnas, a rice thanksgiving festival. It is performed mainly at weddings to give thanks to the god, Kabunyan, for their union and to ask for a blessing. A male dancer imitates a rooster making large gestures to grab the female's attention. The female, which represents a hen, mirrors the male's movements. The beat of the music is lead by the striking of the Solibao (ethnic drum) and the tik tik (two iron rods). Takik is a wedding dance identified with the Aplais of western Mountain Province. There are six players to complete the set, each producing a certain beating to produce harmony. The striking of the solibao (ethnic drum) is the guide of the players. The drummer squats and strikes the solibao alternately with his left and right hand. A male dancer starts and one or more ladies dance to pair the male dancer moving in a circular motion. Next to the dancer is the sunub. The sound of the sunub is so distinct that it responds to the solibao, the first gong (pingsan), then the iron clasping to produce the harmonized music. The complete set for a good takik music is composed of at least five or seven instruments: solibao, sunub, pingsan, pindua, and the takik.

Source: Amazing Quirino

Overview: The most common of all the dances, ballangbang requires the participation of many to beat the gongs and many women dancers. This originated from the western municipalities of Mountain Province (Besao, Sagada, Tadian, Bauko, Sabangan) but performed anywhere. Its version in eastern Mountain Province is the pattong. The male gong players could be five or more and the female dancers could range from a single dancer to more than 10. It is a dance appropriate for mass participation. The male gong players move in a circular direction as they synchronize their artistic graceful steps and body swaying. The women dancers follow as they dance with the appropriate step, body swaying and arm position depending on the art and style of the music players.

Source: Amazing Quirino

Overview: Tadek is a native dance performed by a pair or pairs of men or women dancing to the tempo of the gongs, each of them holding an ‘allop’ (wrap around skirt). In the olden days, this is a courtship dance where the male acts as a rooster, courting the woman presumed to be a hen. The man is the one initiating the change in the position of the ‘allop’, wrapped in front below the waist, hold at left side, at the right side or hold in front as they dance around to the delight of the audience. When they are tired or when the woman ‘has agreed’ to the courtship, they will fold their ‘allop’ and she will hand over her ‘allop’ to the man and they will bow to the audience. At present however, this has become a festive dance and not necessarily a courtship dance.

Source: Amazing Quirino

Overview: Lablabbaan is another native dance performed in pairs, but unlike the ‘tadek’, this has a faster tempo and the gongs are beaten upside down. The ‘allop’ is placed over the shoulders of the dancers, or they can hold it in front but it is rolled, unlike the tadek where the ‘allop’ hangs freely. Since the steps are faster, only some individuals could do this dance.

Source: Amazing Quirino

Overview: The INAN-ANINIT , also called the anito or fairy dance originated from Central Bontoc and its surrounding barrios. According to old folks, this dance was performed as homebound victorious warriors are about to enter their ili or village. The womenfolk would meet them along the way as they culminate in the dap-ay while dancing the inan-aninit. Upon arriving at the Dap-ay, the tired men who are on the verge of collapsing still want to beat their gongs, hence that move where they beat their gongs while they are almost lying on the ground.

Maria Catbagan Aplaten
Author
Nan Natagowan Tako
Cordillera History and Festivals: An Introduction
An updated version of this book will be available by December, 2018

Overview: A variation of the western boogie dance, the Bontoc boogie dance is performed with the fast beating of the gongs. A pair of male and female dancers moves with the fast pacing and raising of feet in opposite directions. At some time, the dancing pair meets with hands holding each other and perform other steps either going forward or sideward. The music players are in kneeling positions.

Source: Igorot Cordillera Bimaak Europe

Overview: This dance is similar to the boogie dance among the Bontocs. Its movement is faster than the pinanyowan. The male dancer stands and performs with at least three steps before the female dancer goes to pair him. It can be with a rolled scarf held by two hands or without scarf. The male and female dancers meet each other then separate with fast steps. This dance is another courtship dance common among the Kinali people in western Besao near Anggaki, Ilocos Sur.

Source: Igorot Cordillera Bimaak Europe

Overview: Dinuyya – Cordillera Ifugao dance Famous in the Ifugao region, this dance is regularly staged during festivals in Lagawe. Three kinds of gong instruments such as, ordinary gongs, tobtob- a brass gong played by beating with open palms and, hibat, a kind of gong played by beating the the dance inner surface with a softwood are used in this dance.

Source: local documentation

Overview: This is a dance common among the tribes in the western parts of Besao (Kinali) who claim the dance originated from the ethnic tribes of Abra. The male dancers with their hands knit together at their backs face the women dancers with their hands knit together at their backs, too. As they all chant, they grapevine to the right then to the left to their original position. As the chorus is chanted, the two groups meet forward to meet at center then back with the chorus. “Hey, donglas di donglalaan dayta, ehem.”

Source: Amazing Quirino

Overview: The dancers follow the same position with that of the digdigwi with similar steps. In this dance, the uniformity of the steps is dependent on the mastery and force in chanting the lines for the debate and the chorus which goes. “Innas balalaginnas, o innas, o innas; Balasibasem, o innas, o innas”. Originally, this dance puts ladies and gentlemen together to make wise pairing among them while chanting.

Source: Amazing Quirino

Overview: Vocal/chant tradition performed by Tingguian/Abra communities during gatherings.

Source: research articles / fieldwork

Overview: Bamboo percussion struck on the ground — used in healing rituals and ensembles (Kalinga).

Source: Wikipedia / instrument guides

Overview: Short, sharp bamboo percussion used as rhythmic accents in ensembles across Cordillera performances.

Source: instrument guides / cultural pages