Essay About Dance In The Philippines

Using Local Dances as Source of Teaching Materials for the K to 12 Physical Education Lesson

AN ACTION RESEARCH PROPOSAL
A Partial Fulfillment for the Requirements in EDUC 127 (Special Topics) 2nd Semester

Jonathan P. Mancao
BSED-MAPE2

Teacher Education Department
College of Education University of San Carlos Cebu
2014
Chapter I
INTRODUCTION
Rationale of the Study Philippines consist of 7,100 islands; has names that ring with music and dance. Each island has its own unique and wealth in tradition and culture. I would like to focus and highlights the indigenous dances that show the history, the people, the custom, and tradition, of the Filipino people in motion arts. Dance is a universal language. What words cannot say, gesture makes clear. Where words are powerless, action reigns supreme. In dance, little if anything at all is lost in translation. (Angara, 1988:10) One of these beautiful folk dances is the “pastores”, a Christmas pageant or played which narrates the simple story of Christ’s nativity. This depicts the shepherd’s adoration of the Child Jesus. Its simple rhyme, simple melody and simple dance steps became the unending delight of millions of Filipinos for years. Through the years, its melody might have undergone slight changes, but the

Marked interest in folk dances has been manifested throughout the country. Philippine dance reflects the characteristics of the different levels of culture found in the Philippines (Aquino, 1979:2). The Filipinos show the influences of foreign conquerors from China, India, the Arabic countries and Spain. In the blending of European and Filipino cultures from the 16th century on , the warm climate influenced the Filipinos to modify and slow down European dance step such as the polka, rigodon and waltz. (Colliers Encyclopedia, 1997: