Thursday, October 18, 2007

Tinikling in Historic Philippines

This is one of the many videos we're working on for the upcoming launch of our new website, Filipino Magazine. I hope you guys like it, the song is from the Tinikling, a traditional Filipino folk dance. There will be an online video gallery full of videos related to Filipino culture, including songs by Pilita Corrales, Bamboo, Francis Magalona, and much more.
Special thanks to Ms. Isabel Preysler and family. These childhood photos are of her and her family in this special video tribute to her home country and our home country, the Philippines.

Tinikling
Tinikling is the most popular and best known dance of the Philippines, receiving acclaim as the national dance. The dance is similar to rope jumping, but instead of a spinning rope, two bamboo poles are hit against blocks on the floor, and then raised up and hit together. Tinikling actually means "bamboo dance" in English. The dance requires one person to operate each end of the poles, and one or more dancers to move in and out of the poles.

Tinikling originated in the Visayan Islands, on the Island of Leyte. Dancers imitate the tikling bird's legendary grace and speed as they walk between grass stems, run over tree branches, or dodge bamboo traps set by rice farmers.

Different stories regarding the origin of tinikling have been passed down through oral histories and folklore. Tinikling is performed on certain Sundays in the Philippines.

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