This year our Rural dances are: Gayong Gayong, Lapay Bantigue, Sakuting, and Tinikling.

At the heart of Filipino culture is family. Within a family, there is celebration, food, and sometimes a little playful bickering here and there. Even though we may avoid certain family members at times or hide things, we know that our family will always have our back. The Rural suite, along with the skit, showcases the playful, loving, and sometimes difficult nature of certain familial relationships.

Gayong Gayong

This dance is popular in Aklan, Capiz. Gayong is a pet name for Leodegario. According to legend and to the words of the song, Gayong and Masiong (pet name for Dalmacio) once attended a feast commemorating the death of a townsman. While eating, Masiong choked on a piece of adobo so he called “Gayong! Gayong!” asking for help to dislodge the adobo from his throat. In this dance, Masiong’s liking for feasts and the consequence of his voracity are held up to playful ridicule. In rural gatherings, this dance offers merriment and fun.

Lapay Bantigue

Bantigue village awaits the arrival of boats with their catch of fish for the day. Lapay is the name of seagulls that would come after the ships would arrive with fish. Festival goers would mimic the seagulls’ flight, swoops, dives, and glides. This playful frolicking became the steps of this spontaneous dance.

Sakuting

A playful dance depicting the Philippine Eskrima, or a type of Philippine martial arts. It is a mock fight between rival folks, originally between Ilocano Christians and non-Christians.

Tinikling

This dance imitates the movement of the tikling birds as they walk between grass stems, run over tree branches, or dodge bamboo traps set by rice farmers. Dancers imitate the tikling bird’s legendary grace and speed by skillfully maneuvering between large bamboo poles.

 

Past Rural dances

2018 – Pasikat na Baso, Gaod, Pasigin, Tinikling

2017 – Kalatong/Subli, Maglalatik, Tinolabong, Sayaw sa Bangko, Tinikling

2016 – Sakuting, Bulaklakan, Binasuan, Lapay Bantigue, Tinikling