Sayaw as the Filipino Version of Dance

Sayaw is the Filipino term for dance, and this refers to the many movements made by a person as a way of conveying his or her emotions or the set of movements that are being presented and showcased in any social and spiritual events. This is also used as way to communicate non-verbally between persons, and the persons who performs the 'sayaw' are called the 'mananayaw' and the act of executing the set of movements is called the 'pagsayaw'. The art of crafting the many moves that will be used in the 'sayaw' is called 'koreograpiya' or choreography.

'Sayaw' in the Philippines is an important subject since this forms part of the culture and the identity of the country. The dances or the 'sayaw' in the country are products of the influences of the Western and the Oriental cultures. Since these dances of the country have roots and have origins in many countries; then it is really hard to grasp the real meaning of the Philippine dance. Most of the dances in the country are patterned or at least influenced by the European dances during the Spanish regime.

The following are the Philippine dances that are influenced by European cultures and dances;

. Pandanggo sa ilaw
. Cariñosa
. Rigodon
. Balitao

These are the examples of dances in the country that are influenced by European dances and culture. Though a number of Philippine dances can be linked to other foreign dances, some Philippine dances that are popular right now are uniquely Filipino- these are ethnic Filipino dances that reflect the culture and the identity of the Filipino people. For example there is the 'Tinikling' and this ethnic Philippine dance is a proud Filipino 'sayaw' and one of the most important Philippine dances.

The archipelago is known for its culture and its many dances. A testament to this is the presence of many festivals in the country and almost all of these festivals have their own festivals to showcase.

The following are important Philippine dances that are well-known in the country;

. Binasuan. This dance is from Pangasinan and this the name means 'with the use of the drinking glasses'. The glasses of the performers of the dance are filled with rice wine and these glasses are then placed onto the head of the performers and they carefully balance these glasses while they make their graceful dance movements. This dance is often performed during special occasions like weddings and fiestas.

. Pandanggo sa ilaw. The word 'pandanggo' is taken from the Spanish word 'fandango'. The dance is characterized by the lively steps performed in conjunction with the clapping while the dancers are following the ¾ beat. Again, this dance calls for graceful balancing acts so that the lights held by the hand will not fall. This dance is originally from Oriental, Mindoro.

. Sublian. This is another 'sayaw' and this is from the term 'subli' which is actually taken from two Filipino words 'subsub' which means falling on head, and the other word is 'bali' which means broken. This is originally a ritual dance that was performed by the natives of Bauan, Batangas.

. Itik-itik. This Filipino dance is a popular one and according to some records, this was first seen in Surigao del Norte. It was said that a young woman started improvising on her dance in the middle of her performance and her new dance steps mimicked that of the 'itik' or the ducks. Since the dance steps of the young woman was new and fascinating, the observers soon copied the moves and began adopting the dance.

. Tinikling. This dance is known as the national folkdance of the country and the dance involves pair of dancers that are hopping between two bamboo poles that are struck together. This is originally from the province of Leyte, and according to some historians the dance steps resembles the movement of the 'tikling birds'.

. Maglalatik. This is another famous 'sayaw' in the country and this dance tells the story of the mock war between the Moros and the Christians.

All of these dances or 'sayaw' in the Philippines tell a story and reflects the culture and the identity of the Filipino people.