HANDOUTS IN

PHYSICAL EDUCATION 9
FESTIVAL DANCE

Festival dances are cultural dances performed to the strong beats of percussion instruments by a community
of people sharing the same culture usually done in honor of a Patron Saint or in thanksgiving of a bountiful harvest.
Festival dances may be religious or secular in nature. But the best thing about festivals is that they add to the merry-
making and festivities where they are celebrated, the reason why they are called festival dances after all. Festival dances
draw the people’s culture by portraying the people’s ways of life through movements, costumes and implements
inherent to their place of origin. Kinds of Partner Dances

Some of the famous festivals in the country include Sinulog of Cebu, Dinagyang of Iloilo, Ati-atihan of Kalibo,
Aklan, Buyogan and Lingayan of Leyte, Bangus of Dagupan, T’nalak of South Cotabato, Masskara of Bacolod City,
Bambanti of Isabela, and Kadayawan of Davao. Many others, especially from Luzon, are now paving their way to join the
country’s festival of festivals, the Aliwan Fiesta which is done in the month of April.
Filipinos do festivals primarily to celebrate. There are a multitude of reasons for this reason. We celebrate our
unity amidst the diversity of cultures and we celebrate our industry bringing about a bountiful harvest. Festivals have
been a consistent crowd-producing activity leading to upliftment of a community’s economy due to its tourism and
entertainment value. Basically, festivals are a form of entertainment that attracts foreign and domestic tourists to visit a
place eventually leading to the elevation of the Filipino’s quality of life.

Whatever festival we celebrate, be it done to honor a religious icon or celebrate our industry. Festival dances
are a reflection of the unity of the Filipino community that despite the economic, social, environmental, cultural and
political challenges we face every day, there can be no other race more resilient than ours.

Religious and Secular Festivals

Festivals may either be religious, in honor of a certain religious icon or secular or non-
religious, in thanksgiving or celebration of peoples industry and bountiful harvest. The
following are some of the said festivals:

RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS
Name of Festival Place of Origin Religious Figure Month of
Honoured Celebration
Sinulog Festival Cebu City Sto. Niňo January
Dinagyang Festival Iloilo City Sto. Niňo January
Ati-atihan Festival Kalibo, Aklan Sto. Niňo January
Peňafrancia Bicol Virgin Mary September
Higantes Festival Angono, Rizal Saint Clement November
Longganisa Festival Viga City, Ilocos Sur Saint Paul January
Kinabayo Festival Dapitan City James The Great July
Pintados de Passi Pintados City, Iloilo Sto. Niňo March
Pattarradday Santiago City Seňor San Tiago May
Sangyaw Festival Tacloban City Sto. Niňo July

SECULAR/NON-RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS
Name of Festival Place of Origin Industry Month Celebrated
Bangus Festival Dagupan, Milkfish Industry April to May
Pangasinan
Bambanti Festival Isabela Scarecrow (Farming) January
Mammangui Festival City of Ilagan Corn Industry May
Mango Festival Iba, Zambales Mango Industry April
Panagbenga Baguio City Flower Industry February
Festival
Ibon Ebon Festival Pampanga Migratory Birds February
Egg Industry
Masskara Bacolod City Mask (Sugar October
Industry)
T’nalak Koronadal, Cotabato Colorful Abaca January
Ammungan Festival Nueva Vizcaya Gathering of Tribal May
Industries
Binatbatan Festival Vigan, Ilocos Sur Weaving Industry May
Folk Dance – passed down from generation to generation.
* Depicts the culture of the people.
* Smooth and flowing movements.
* Steps, music and costumes are given.

Movements of the hands

* Kumintang – to turn the hand from the wrist either clockwise or counter-clockwise.
* Ilocano Kumintang – with thumb and fore finger together, turn hand from wrist inward or outward.
* Kewet – with fist closed and thumb sticking out turn hand outward or inward.
* Palpaltik – with fist closed and thumb sticking out lower and raise the wrist.
* Masiwak – turn hand half clockwise, raise and lower the wrist twice.
* Bilao – with elbows close to waist and forearms parallel, turn hand up and down.
*Arms in lateral – to bring both arms either to the R or to the L.
This could be done in 3 level namely:
* shoulder * chest * waist
*Forearm turn – to turn the forearms.
* Ending in elbow support * Ending in lateral forward *Ending in lateral sideward
*Salok (scoop) – to scoop down with slight bending of the trunk and finish upward with R or L arm overhead.
*Sarok – to cross R hand over the L or vice versa.
*Tumba-tumba – with arms in 4th position, fist closed move elbows up and down.
*Hayon-hayon – to bring one forearm in front and the other in rear at waist level with slight twisting of the
trunk.
*Arms in reverse “T” – arms are horizontal elbows bent at R angles, forearms parallel to head palms facing
inward.
*Patay – with arms in folded position point R feet in rear and bent toward R.

Movements of the feet

*Point – to touch the floor with your toes in any direction.
*Brush – to hit the floor (w/ foot flexion) noisily and forcibly either with the ball or heel of your feet.
*Stamp – to hit the floor (w/ foot flexion) noisily and forcibly.
*Tap – to touch the floor with foot flexion.
*Hop – the spring on one foot and landing on the same.
*Cut – to displace one foot with the other (this could be done forward or sideward)
*Leap – to spring on one foot and land on the other.
*Jump – to spring on one or both feet and land on both.
*Panandyak – a combination of a stamp and tap.
*Step – advance or to recede with complete transfer of weight from one foot to the other.
*Place – to put feet on any direction or desired position without transferring of weight.
*Slide – to slide smoothly along the floor with a complete transfer of weight.
*Pivot – to turn in place with the feet or whole feet and the ball of the feet.
*Whirl – to make fast turns in place.