As we begin our journey, first we shall pass through from the mountainous Central Cordillera region of Northern Luzon, known as the “Philippine Skyland”, coming across the Igorot or Mountain people depicting their life through their religious beliefs to appease their ancestors & gods to cure ailments, to ward off bad luck or natural calamities & also to insure bountiful harvests, favorable weather, or to mark mile-stones in the cycle of life.

Onward, through the urban life of the famous City of Manila, here, we take a rest at a local restaurant that will entertain us with some Filipino Folk Songs.  At this point, we recall the 16th century era - during the coming of the Spaniards in the Philippines, a period when the Maria Clara was a popular fashion among the socialites; a beautiful costume; displayed with a style of elegance, evoking a strong Spanish influence in their lifestyle while adapting to European cultural ideas.  Now, we show off some popular dances during this era:  Cariñosa, a flirtatious dance meaning affectionate, lovable, or amiable.  With a fan or handkerchief, the dancers go through hide-and-seek movements & other flirting acts.

Settling downward further through the rural regions of the Rural Christian Low-lands, depicting the simplicities of life, portraying the joy in work, the love of music, illustrating the fiesta spirit & demonstrating a love of life.  Now we stage a series of dances from this region: the Pandanggo Sa Ilaw, requires grace & skill with glasses of lighted candles on either head, both hands while per-forming the entire dance; the Maglalatik, this mock-war dance, depicts a fight between the Moros & the Christians over the prized “latik”, or coconut meat residue.  Performers use harnesses of coconut shells positioned on their backs, chests, hips, & thighs; the Sayaw sa Bangko, a dance from Pangasinan that demands skill from its performers as they dance on top of a narrow bench; & the Tinikling, a native dance imitating the movement of the tikling bird’s legendary grace & speed by skillfully maneuvering between bamboo poles.

Further on through the hillside & interior of Mindanao & the hills & mountains of the Philippine Archipelago, we meet the non-Christian Pilipino tribes; whose cultural beliefs predates the Christian & Islamic influences, with strong belief in animalistic religions, shown through their dances of worship for these gods that encompass sacrifice, ceremonies, rituals & life.  Here, performers render their creativity of a tribal ceremony.  As we expedite into the southern part of the Philippines coming across the southern island of Mindanao & the Sulu Archipelago, inhabited by Filipino Moros; wearing clothes that are somewhat influenced by the Arabians & Indo-Malaysian culture.  At this point, here is an ensemble of Moro dances: In Vinta, named for the picturesque boat sailing across the Sulu Sea.  The  performers in this dance, stage a ride aboard a Vinta.  Here, we take a break at one of our local restaurants.  Further on, our Moro dances; Singkil is the dance of Moro royalty that originated from Lanao del Sur, Mindanao, Philippines.  An exotic dance as performers simultaneously dance, manipulate their fans & weave expertly through the clashing & criss-crossed bamboos.

Lastly, popular during the mid-1900’s, the beautiful terno; dominated the world of women’s fashion, a creation of the butterfly sleeves; as the young men wore the Barong Tagalog, made from materials of pineapple abaca fibers; giving these native fashion its statement of fine style that has won acclaim throughout the world!  In admiration to our native costumes, a quote from a famous journalist:  “Nothing can be more charming & fascinating, than all of these costumes, which excites in the highest degree the admiration of foreign strangers.  In conclusion to our presentation:  an innovative modern dance artistically created.