Igorot Dance Video - Maryland

There is an Igorot Dance video taken during the 18th anniversary of the Philippine International Bible Church of Montgomery County, in Maryland last month. What's special about the video is that it had my sister and my brother-in-law amongst the dancers. While my brother-in-law is a natural dancer, I haven't seen my sister dance that much. And, this is the second time I saw them dance together (though with other dancers) since they got married more than 8 years ago. Check this video from the Igorot Video Collection website.

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Igorot Dances - Pictures

I am slowly transferring all my webpages from the sagada-igorot.com website into this blog. I just copied over 2 articles on Igorot Dances; and I have some left-over pictures. I can't remember where I got these 12-year old photographs. If some kind soul out there can let me know, I'd appreciate it very much.

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Igorot Dances, 2 of 2 Posts

Here is the second set of Igorot Dances. This set includes the Kayaw, Lumagen, Manerwap, Manmanok, Palakis, Ragragsakan, Sakpaya, Salip and Takik. The list of dances mentioned are from the Bontoc, Bago, Kalinga and Ifugao tribes.

Kayaw (kah-YAHW)

Kalingas of yore considered headhunting a revered tradition. A budong or peace pact is made between ili or village clusters to maintain peaceful relations and security. Breaking this pact by causing blood to flow will inevitably result in kayaw or headhunting. The offended village has the right to raid their transgressors and indiscriminately taking as many heads as they can as trophies. Mangayaw or listening to Idao, a mysterious bird, is supposed to lead a group to a successful head hunt.

Lumagen (looh-MAH-gehn)

This is a dance performed at Kalinga festivals to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Manerwap (MAH-nehr-wahp)

In times of severe drought, the Bontoc Igorots performed rituals imploring Kabunian (God) to open the sky and allow raindrops to water the rice terraces and the mountains. Participants in the Manerwap climb the mountain to reach a sacred place called fawi where they offer a piece of meat and some rice wine to God. Tribal folk rule that participants in the Manerwap must be physically strong to withstand the fast required during the rites, when they're allowed only water and no food. Senior members of the tribe perform the rain dance for two days and two nights, incessantly beating gongs throughout the vigil.

Manmanok (mahn-mah-NOHK)

Three Bago Tribe roosters compete against each other for the attention of Lady Love. They use blankets depicting colorful plumes to attract her.

Palakis (pah-LAH-keehs)

This courtship dance originates from Western Bontoc and is usually performed at weddings and during festivals like the begnas, celebrated by the community before a harvest or planting. The dance is characterized by free-form interactions between male and female dancers, with each dancer carrying a square-meter piece of brightly colored cloth, held or shaken to convey sentiments such as flirtation or desire. A set of four gongs accompanies this dance.

Ragragsakan (rahg-rahg-SAH-kahn)

This is an adaptation of a tradition in which Kalinga women gather and prepare for a budong, or peace pact.

Sakpaya (sahk-pah-YAH)

The hands of Ifugao farmers dig the hard soil and push heavy stones off cliffs to make way for a new rice field, part of the world-famous Banaue rice terraces. High-flying sakpaya birds swoop and hover over the terraces as the Ifugao toil. In times of plenty, the Ifugao farmers give thanks to their sakpaya "gods" by donning traditional costumes and imitating their flight in this dance.

Salip (SAH-lihp)

The Salip of the Kalinga tribe depicts a warrior claiming his bride by presenting her with a matrimonial blanket. The woman responds by balancing several clay pots upon her head. She follows the man to connote obedience. He simulates the movements of a rooster at love play, aspiring to attract and seize his love. A version of this dance has two warriors competing for the approval of the fair maiden.

Takik (TAH-kihk)

The Bontoc tribe performs this flirtation-type dance with five or more male dancers who provide music and rhythms for a male dancer and a female dancer doing a love or courtship dance. The dancers are in single-file forming circular or spiral patterns, and are led by the male dancer, who is immediately followed in the circular path by the chief gongbeater, who usually displays steps more fanciful than those of the rest of his fellow gongbeaters. At one point, he holds his foot sideward in the air, in an eloquent pause.

References: The contents of this page was lifted with permission from Noel's Pilipino Folkdance Glossary: Mountain/Igorot Suite. The original content was slightly altered to fit this site.

Back to: IGOROT DANCES - Part I

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Igorot Dances, 1 of 2 Posts

Among the Igorots, dance continues to be an expression of community life that animates the various rituals and ceremonies. It serves for self-edification of the performers and entertainment for the spectators. Dances originated to appease ancestors and gods to cure ailments, to insure successful war-mating activities, or to ward off bad luck or natural calamities. Igorots dance to congregate and socialize, for general welfare and recreation, and perhaps, as an outlet for repressed feeling. They also dance to insure bountiful harvests, favorable weather, and to mark milestones in the cycle of life.

Here are some Igorot dances:

Apayao (ah-pah-YAHW) Courtship Dance

This dance comes from the northernmost section of the Mountain provinces. Here, the couple raise and wave their arms and hands like the wings of a bird in flight, and the ceremonial blanket worn by the woman is lightly wrapped around her. The man's movements resemble those of a fighting cock in the preening, strutting, and flying-off-the-ground gestures.

Banga (bahng-AH)

Igorot maidens go to the river and prepare for a marriage ceremony. They display not only their grace and agility, but also their stamina and strength as they go about their daily task of fetching water and balancing the banga, claypots full of water, on their heads.

Bindian (BIHN-deeh-ahn)

The Ibaloy who inhabit the southernmost mountain regions in Northern Luzon perform victory dances to extol the bravery of the warriors of yesterday. In this version from the barrio of Kabayan, hand movements are downward, suggesting the people's affinity with the earth. The basic step consists of a stamp by the left foot and a light, forward movement by the right. Instrumentalists lead the line, followed by male dancers, while the female dancers bring in the rear.

Bontoc War Dance or Pattong(PAH-tohng)

Also called the Bontoc War Dance, Pattong is part of the headhunting and war ceremonials inciting feelings of strength and courage as the warriors prepare to stalk their enemy. In Central Bontoc, the dance is also performed in February, March, and April, to implore the god Lumawig to send rain, similar in purpose to that of the rain-calling ceremony of Native American tribes. Much of the movements are improvised; two camps of warriors are usually featured pursuing each other, culminating in a melee where a fighter from one tribe kills one of his opponents.

Bumayah (booh-mah-YAH)

Thanksgiving festivals are one of many occasions for tribal celebrations. The movements in this dance of the Ifugao tribe, imitating those of a rooster scratching the ground, symbolize a thanksgiving prayer to the god Kabunian for a bountiful harvest of rice. Both men and women express their joy in this thanksgiving.

Dinuyya (dih-NOOH-yah)

A festival dance from Lagawe, it is performed by the Ifugao men and women during a major feast. Accompanying the dance are three gangsa or gongs: the tobtob, a brass gong about ten inches in diameter and played by beating with open palms, and the various hibat or gongs played by beating the inner surface with a stick of softwood.

Lepanto (leh-PAHN-toh) Festival Dance

This dance is performed by the Kankana-ey of northern Benguet and the people of Western Bontoc. It is usually danced at wedding celebrations (when it signifies the well-wishing of the bride and groom) and also after a harvesting season, when thanksgiving is rendered to the Benguet god Kabunyan for the bountiful harvest of the year.

Continue to: IGOROT DANCES - Part II

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Passing on the IGOROT Heritage through Dance

Young American Igorots in full costume
Photo from the Igorot Gallery at sagada.com.

I visited a gathering of several BIBBAK groups in Texas while I was there on a project during the fall of 2004. (BIBBAK stands for Bontoc, Ifugao, Benguet, Baguio, Apayao / Abra, Kalinga) I noticed that there was a lady who was in charge of meeting with the children and talking to them about the Igorot culture. Majority of the children were born in the US, and most likely never set foot in the place where the Igorots come from – and that’s in the Cordillera Mountains of Northern Philippines. Still, as most people of every culture has done in history, the parents of these children would like them to learn about who they are. So it is very common amongst migrating Igorots to meet together, and pass on the Igorot heritage to the younger generation.

Teaching children how to play the gong and participate in Igorot dances are effective and fun ways to keep the practice alive. For someone like me who is a very awkward dancer / gong player, it is difficult to teach something I could not even be decent at. (I blushed and huffed my way through an Igorot dance during my wedding day – a terrible memory, really.) But my inabilities shouldn’t pose a problem. There will always be groups of Igorots wherever you are, and most of them will likely be good dancers.

There is a family picnic for BIBBAK – ILLINOIS on Saturday, Aug 23, 2008 at Des Plaines. I’ll be bringing the boys over and we’ll be looking forward to the Cultural Presentation and Native Dance Rehearsal in the afternoon. I will also be posting some pictures in this blog after the event.

My youngest, at 2, playing with a gong in Maryland.

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