DIFFERENT DANCES

1. TRADITIONAL DANCE (FOLK AND ETHNIC)

Folk dance are dances that are developed by people that reflect the life of the people of a
certain country or region. Not all ethnic dances are folk dances. For example, ritual dances or
dances of ritual origin are not considered to be folk dances. Ritual dances are usually called
"Religious dances" because of their purpose.

The terms "ethnic" and "traditional" are used when it is required to emphasize the cultural
roots of the dance. In this sense, nearly all folk dances are ethnic ones. If some dances, such as
polka, cross ethnic boundaries and even cross the boundary between "folk" and "ballroom dance",
ethnic differences are often considerable enough to mention.

They share some or all of the following attributes:

-Dances are usually held at folk dance gatherings or social functions by people with little or no
professional training, often to traditional music.
-Dances not generally designed for public performance or the stage, though they may later be
arranged and set for stage performances.
-Execution dominated by an inherited tradition from various international cultures rather than
innovation (though folk traditions change over time).
-New dancers often learn informally by observing others or receiving help from others.

2. MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY DANCE

Modern dance is a broad genre of western concert or theatrical dance, primarily arising out of
Germany and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Modern dance is often considered to have emerged as a rejection of, or rebellion against,
classical ballet. Socioeconomic and cultural factors also contributed to its development. In the late
19th century, dance artists such as Isadora Duncan, Maud Allan, and Loie Fuller were pioneering
new forms and practices in what is now called aesthetic or free dance for performance. These
dancers disregarded ballet's strict movement vocabulary, the particular, limited set of movements
that were considered proper to ballet, and stopped wearing corsets and pointe shoes in the search
for greater freedom of movement.

Throughout the 20th century, sociopolitical concerns, major historical events, and the
development of other art forms contributed to the continued development of modernist dance in
the United States and Germany. Moving into the 1960s, new ideas about dance began to emerge,
as a response to earlier dance forms and to social changes. Eventually, postmodern dance artists
would reject the formalism of modern dance, and include elements such as performance art,
contact improvisation, release technique, and improvisation.

Modern dance is often considered to have emerged as a rejection of, or rebellion against,
classical ballet, although historians have suggested that socioeconomic changes in both the United
States and Europe helped to initiate shifts in the dance world. In America, increasing
industrialization, the rise of a middle class (which had more disposable income and free time), and
the decline of Victorian social strictures led to, among other changes, a new interest in health and
physical fitness."It was in this atmosphere that a 'new dance' was emerging as much from a
rejection of social structures as from a dissatisfaction with ballet."

Contemporary dance is a genre of dance performance that developed during the mid twentieth
century and has since grown to become one of the dominant genres for formally trained dancers
throughout the world, with particularly strong popularity in the U.S. and Europe. Although
originally informed by and borrowing from classical, modern, and jazz styles, it has since come to
incorporate elements from many styles of dance. Due to its technical similarities, it is often
perceived to be closely related to modern dance, ballet, and other classical concert dance styles. In
terms of the focus of its technique, contemporary dance tends to combine the strong but controlled
legwork of ballet with modern that stresses on torso. It also employs contract-release, floor work,
fall and recovery, and improvisation characteristics of modern dance.

Contemporary dance draws on both classical ballet and modern dance, whereas postmodern
dance was a direct and opposite response to modern dance. Merce Cunningham is considered to be
the first choreographer to "develop an independent attitude towards modern dance" and defy the
ideas that were established by it.

3. BALLROOM DANCE (RECREATIONAL AND COMPETITIVE)

Ballroom dance is a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively
around the world. Because of its performance and entertainment aspects, ballroom dance is also
widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television. The term 'ballroom dancing' is derived from the
word ball which in turn originates from the Latin word ballare which means 'to dance' (a ball-
room being a large room specially designed for such dances). In times past, ballroom dancing was
social dancing for the privileged, leaving folk dancing for the lower classes.

Ballroom dance may refer, at its widest definition, to almost any type of partner dancing as
recreation. However, with the emergence of dancesport in modern times, the term has become
narrower in scope and traditionally refers to the five International Standard and five International
Latin style dances (see dance categories below). The two styles, while differing in technique,
rhythm and costumes, exemplify core elements of ballroom dancing such as control and
cohesiveness.

4. CHEERDANCE
Cheerdance is the dance portion of cheerleading, where tumbling and stunts are not included.
It is made of 4 parts, namely pom dance, jazz, hiphop and line dance. Each performance is about
2.5 minutes, and is judged by the dance skills and choreography, as well as team coordination.
This sport is full of energy, from the competitors’ smiles and acting expressions.
. Cheerleading is an activity wherein the participants (referred to as "cheerleaders") cheer for
their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical
activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to entertain the audience, or for
competition. Competitive routines typically range anywhere from one to three minutes, and
contain components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting.

Cheerleading originated in the United States, and remains predominantly in America, with an
estimated 1.5 million participants in all-star cheerleading. The global presentation of cheerleading
was led by the 1997 broadcast of ESPN's International cheerleading competition, and the
worldwide release of the 2000 film Bring It On. Due in part to this recent exposure, there are now
an estimated 100,000 participants scattered around the globe in Australia, Canada, China,
Colombia, Finland, France, Germany, Japan,[1] the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United
Kingdom.[2]

5. HIP-HOP/STREET DANCE
Hip-hop dance refers to street dance styles primarily performed to hip-hop music or that have
evolved as part of hip-hop culture. It includes a wide range of styles primarily breaking which was
created in the 1970s and made popular by dance crews in the United States. Hip-hop dance is a
broad category that includes a variety of styles. The older dance styles that were created in the
1970s include uprock, breaking, and the funk styles.

The television show Soul Train and the 1980s films Breakin', Beat Street, and Wild Style
showcased these crews and dance styles in their early stages; therefore, giving hip-hop mainstream
exposure. The dance industry responded with a commercial, studio-based version of hip-hop—
sometimes called "new style"—and a hip-hop influenced style of jazz dance called "jazz-funk".
Classically trained dancers developed these studio styles in order to choreograph from the hip-hop
dances that were performed on the street. Because of this development, hip-hop dance is practiced
in both dance studios and outdoor spaces.

6. FESTIVAL DANCE

Festival dances are cultural dances performed to the strong beats of percussion instruments by
a community of people sharing the same culture usually done in honor of a Patron Saint or in
thanksgiving of a bountiful harvest. Festival dances may be religious or secular in nature. But the
best thing about festivals is that they add to the merry-making and festivities where they are
celebrated, the reason why they are called festival dances after all. Festival dances draw the
people’s culture by portraying the people’s ways of life through movements, costumes and
implements inherent to their place of origin.

Some of the famous festivals in the country include Sinulog of Cebu, Dinagyang of Iloilo,
Ati-atihan of Kalibo, Aklan, Buyogan and Lingayan of Leyte, Bangus of Dagupan, T’nalak of
South Cotabato, Masskara of Bacolod City, Bambanti of Isabela, and Kadayawan of Davao. Many
others, especially from Luzon, are now paving their way to join the country’s festival of festivals,
the Aliwan Fiesta which is done in the month of April.
 Filipinos do festivals primarily to celebrate. There are a multitude of reasons for this reason.
We celebrate our unity amidst the diversity of cultures and we celebrate our industry bringing
about a bountiful harvest. Festivals have been a consistent crowd-producing activity leading to
upliftment of a community’s economy due to its tourism and entertainment value. Basically,
festivals are a form of entertainment that attract foreign and domestic tourists to visit a place
eventually leading to the elevation of the Filipino’s quality of life.

Whatever festival we celebrate, be it done to honor a religious icon or celebrate our industry.
Festival dances are a reflection of the unity of the Filipino community that despite the economic,
social, environmental, cultural and political challenges we face every day, there can be no other
race more resilient than ours.

As mentioned earlier, festivals may either be religious, in honor of a certain religious icon or
secular or non-religious, in thanksgiving or celebration of peoples industry and bountiful harvest.
The following are some of the said festivals:

*RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS
Name of Festival Place of Origin Religious Figure Honored Month of Celebration Sinulog
Festival Cebu City Sto. Niňo January Dinagyang Festival Iloilo City Sto. Niňo January Ati-atihan
Festival Kalibo, Aklan Sto. Niňo January Peňafrancia Bicol Virgin Mary September Higantes
Festival Angono, Rizal Saint Clement November Longganisa Festival Vigan City, Ilocos Sur Saint
Paul January Kinabayo Festival Dapitan City James the Great July Pintados de Passi Pintados
City, Iloilo Sto. Niňo March Pattarradday Santiago City Seňor San Tiago May Sangyaw Festival
Tacloban City Sto. Niňo July

*SECULAR/NON-RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS
Name of Festival Place of Origin Industry Month Celebrated Bangus Festival Dagupan,
Pangasinan Milkfish Industry April to May Bambanti Festival Isabela Scarecrow (Farming)
January Mammangui Festival City of Ilagan Corn Industry May Mango Festival Iba, Zambales
Mango Industry April Panagbenga Festival Baguio City Flower Industry February Ibon Ebon
Festival Pampanga Migratory Birds Egg Industry February Masskara Bacolod City Mask (Sugar
Industry) October T’nalak Koronadal, Cotabato Colorful Abaca January Ammungan Festival
Nueva Vizcaya Gathering of Tribal Industries May Binatbatan Festival Vigan, Ilocos Sur Weaving
Industry May