What is Tinikling Dance?

 The culture of the Philippines has always been regarded as one of the most unique in the world. The unique blend of Eastern and Western traditions gave rise to many interesting cultural expressions, such as the Tinikling dance (also known as the “bamboo dance.”)

Regarded as the national dance of the Philippines, if you ever get the opportunity to visit the island nation, you definitely must try to see a performance! The dance can tell you a lot about the country, the people, and its history.

This guide will tell you all you need to know about the Tinikling dance, from its history to its characteristics, the steps, and more!

Tinikling Dance Origin

Like most traditional dances around the world, there are many variations of the origin story of the Tinikling dance. Historical records commonly cite two versions that now serve as the best answers to the question of “Where did the tinikling dance originate?”

It might originate from a species of birds

The first version says that the Tinikling dance came into being during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, specifically, the island of Leyte.

At the time, the people living in the Visayas (a chain of six islands that includes the Leyte) were mostly rice farmers. The rice crops were often attacked by a species of bird known locally as Tinikling. Today, in the Western world, these birds are known as buff-banded rails (Hypotaenidia philippensis).

The locals set up bamboo traps to protect the crops from these birds. However, the traps didn’t work, and the birds would jump over the bamboo poles built to trap them.

Soon, the locals imitated the hopping motion of the birds, and the Tinikling dance (also named after the bird) was created!

It might be the way Philippine farmers jumped to dodge the bamboo punishment

There’s another variation of the dance’s origin story, this one a lot darker.

The second version also takes place in the Spanish-occupied Philippines. The King of Spain ordered the local Filipinos to work the fields in large plantations.

Anyone who worked too slowly or didn’t meet the quotas at the time was punished. The punishment involved standing in-between bamboo poles that clapped together to strike the farmer’s feet.

The farmers would jump before the bamboo poles were clapped to dodge the punishment. Eventually, the jumping motion was converted into an artistic dance form, which we now enjoyed on-stage as the Tinikling dance today.

Whatever the real story is, there’s no doubt that the nature of Tinikling dance is intimately connected with the history of the Philippines. This is the reason why we said earlier that you need to watch it in order to fully understand the people and their culture here!

Tinikling Dance Characteristics

The poles & the clappers

The most distinctive part of the Tinikling dance is the bamboo poles.

These poles are typically between 6 to 12 feet (1.8 to 3.7 meters) long. They’re held parallel to one another by two people, known as “clappers,” on either end.

The poles make a percussive “clack” when struck against the ground or clapped together, so they aren’t just supporting tools … they’re full-fledged instruments!

The clappers will hear rhythmic clap them together in a triple-meter pattern. So, two claps against the ground, then one claps together.

The poles’ percussive sound is usually backed up by Rondalla music played by a string band consisting of bandurrias, octavinas, ukuleles, guitars, and laúdes.

The dancers

When the bamboo poles clap together, the dancers – standing in between the poles with bare feet and ankles – must anticipate and hop over the closing poles.

This takes a lot of practice and a good sense of rhythm. If the dancers miss the cue, they could get their feet and ankles stuck between the poles when they close.

A pair of dancers usually perform the Tinikling dance. They will start the dance with their hands on their hips or clasped behind their backs. As the music begins to get faster and the rhythm of the poles becomes quicker, the dancers will get closer together and hold each other’s hands.

And to end the fast Tinikling dance, the dancers will let go of each other’s hands and jump out from between the poles.

Classification Of Tinikling Dance

The traditional version of the Tinikling dance only involves two poles. But other variations use up to four poles.

In a four-pole Tinikling dance, the poles are controlled by four “clappers,” and are arranged in a cross-like pattern. This significantly increases the difficulty of the dance.

The dancers not only need to count the rhythm extremely precisely to avoid getting stuck between the poles, but they also need to pay extra attention to their footing.

Read more: https://citydance.org/tinikling-dance-history-characteristics-steps/