Cultural Journal Report
Tinikling: Traditional bamboo dance of Philippines
by Jahanzeb Nazir
published April 23rd, 2013
additional information from here
Summary
Tinikling is a traditional bamboo dance of the Philippines. This article explains how the dance is performed, which is barefoot and in costume. "Females wear a dress called balintawak or patadyong. And the male dancers wear the outfit called barong tagalog." Then it explains what each of the articles of clothing are. The Tinikling dance has connections to a bird called the Tikling bird. The dancers mimic the movements of the bird in their dance. The article then discusses the steps of the dance.
Thoughts
The clothing worn for the Tinikling dances are very colorful. I keep almost misspelling Tinikling. I think that the background for the dance is interesting. There's a myth involved with the dance, telling that during the time after the Spanish invasion of the Philippines, those who disobeyed the orders of the king were punished by standing between bamboo poles. This led to the beginnings of the Tinikling dance. I would want to research the more recent, hiphop version of the same dance.
Tying Into the Philippines' Culture
Dance is an important part of culture. Some dances tell a story, others reflect on the historical background of the dance. The story attached to the Tinikling is an important part of the dance itself. The Tinikling dance has also become modernized by teenagers, creating a hiphop tinikling dance. It shows the blending of older and newer cultural dance influences.