NORTHERN TRIBAL
(CORDILLERA) SUITE
Earthy, Powerful, Ceremonial
The dominant geographical feature is a chain of mountains, in which the Spanish conquistadores called the Cordillera. These mountains are home to the Philippine Indigenous people. United by their generally animistic religious worldview, the Cordillera people are divided into six large tribes, most known include the Kalinga, Bontoc and Ifugao tribes.
PAMANA’s Cordillera repertoire includes dances from these tribes, each emphasizing a communal way of life. Thanksgiving, peace offerings, courtship, and war declarations are all enacted through dancing and singing. PAMANA captures the seeming contradiction of simultaneous serenity and vivacity. Below are some of many dances in this suite that PAMANA perform.
Scroll down, to know more about the musical instruments for this suite!
Hunt
Description: Hunt is a powerful dance that re-enacts the hunting of a bird. This is an original PAMANA choreography, loosely inspired by a traditional dance called Idaw.
Dance variations includes: 4-8 male dancers.
Video portfolio of this dance coming soon.
Bendian
Description: Bendian is a circle dance from the province of Benguet celebrating the victory of war and the successful return of the headhunters.
Dance variations includes: 4-8 female dancers. Video portfolio of this dance coming soon.
Ngillin
Description: This dance, which is performed by such tribes as the Kalingas (known for their courtship dances), is a marriage dance in which the dancers imitate a rooster and a hen “courting” each other.
Dance variations includes: Solo male and female dancer. This dance may or may not need 1-2 extra dancers to attend to the placement of the pots. Video portfolio of this dance coming soon.
Salip
Description: The Kalinga wedding ritual, to be particular, is a dance wherein a bride is offered protection and comfort by the groom. The man tries to show his love by imitating the movements of a rooster. Meanwhile, the bride's friends prepare “bangas” (earthen pots) that contain fresh water from the mountain spring to offer to the groom.
Dance variations includes: Solo male and female dancer. Video portfolio of this dance coming soon.
Manmanok
Description: This is a dance of courtship from the Bago tribe, in which three male dancers imitate the movement of a rooster while competing against one another for the attention of the female dancer. The blankets used are representative of each rooster's colorful plumes.
Dance variations includes: Solo female dancer, alongside 3 male dancers. Video portfolio of this dance coming soon.
Uya-uy
Description: Performed at Ifugao wedding festivals, the Uya-uy is not only a dance of celebration and Thanksgiving, but is also a means of advancing one's wealth and status. Those who have performed the Uya-uy attain a high social status and are also entitled to the use of gongs at their funerals.
Dance variations includes: 4-8 female dancers, same amount of male dancers. Video portfolio of this dance coming soon.
Banga
Description: This Kalinga dance depicts maidens carrying pots of water on their heads, exhibiting their stamina and grace while they scale the mountainous terrain. PAMANA reinterprets this dance, wherein the maidens prepare each other for the dances of courtship that immediately follow it.
Dance variations includes: 4-8 female dancers. Video portfolio of this dance coming soon.
Ragragsakan
Description: Ragragsakan portrays Kalinga women as they balance baskets atop their heads and walk carefully along the mountainous rice terraces in the early morning fog. The fabric of their blankets, woven in the typical Kalinga colours and patterns, help to keep them warm against the cold mountain air.
Dance variations includes: 4-8 female dancers.
Video portfolio of this dance coming soon.
Bumayah
Description: A dance of thanksgiving performed by the Kalinga people. The movements in this dance are symbolic of the people’s worldview, communicating their connection to the sky and to the land. Their arms imitate the soaring Philippine eagle, and their feet imitate the movements of chickens scratching the ground. Bumayah is one of the oldest dances in PAMANA’s original repertoire.
Dance variations includes: Minimum of 4 female dancers, and minimum of 4 male dancers. Video portfolio of this dance coming soon.
THE SOUNDS OF THE DANCE SUITE
NORTHERN TRIBAL (CORDILLERA) SUITE - PERCUSSION/WIND
Music Percussion in this suite:
Cordillera uses a variety of percussion instruments, notably the gangsa and dabakan, to create its distinct sound. The gangsa is played with the hands as it rests on top of the player’s lap.
Albeit subtle, the rhythm, tones, and intensity of the music varies from dance to dance in order to emphasize certain moments in the dances. For example, the guys’ parts in Uya-Uy are much more sharp striking compared to the soft tones in Ragragsakan. What influences these decisions in the music is the very movements of the dancers.
Another instrument uniquely to the cordillera suite is the Tongali (or nose flute) which is a long narrow bamboo flute that is blown through the nose.
