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The Samahan Philippine Dance Repertoire
Filipino folk dances and music, used in rituals, courtship, and festivals, depict the people's rich culture, customs and traditions. The diversity of their dances and music reflects the influences of various races - Indian, Chinese, Indochinese, Indonesian, Malay, Spanish, and American, who came to stay in the islands throughout its history either as migrants, traders or colonizers.
A full repertoire of Philippine dances features the ethnic dances of the natives of the Cordillera mountains in the northern Philippines; the tribal dances of the Mindanao tribes whose religion is Islam, in the south; the Spanish influenced dances, called Maria Clara; and the rural dances of the peasants in the country side of the central islands of the country.
The ethnic tribes are the indigenous people of the Philippines, who have retained their own culture. Various tribal groups in the mountain provinces in the northern Philippines and in the island of Mindanao and adjoining smaller islands have their own unique forms of dance and music, which they have preserved through the ages, surviving through years of colonial invasions. The variety and richness of the dances are enhanced by colorful costumes and complex gong-drum and bamboo musical accompaniment.
The Spanish colonization of the Philippines brought many western influences including religion, social graces, dress, dance and music. In Maria Clara dances, movements and choreography are simulated from movements of the Spanish and other European dances. Rural dances are imitations of the movements of nature such as birds and trees, others are characterizations of various occupations while most are simply dances of skill to entertain guests at social gatherings.
Since its inception, the Samahan Philippine Dance Company, now known as the Samahan Filipino American Performing Arts & Education Center, has primarily taught the Filipino American students in area schools the traditional Philippine dances. Samahan's theater performances feature full repertoire of various folkdances, some of which are described in detail in the Samahan Performing Arts repertoire page (click underlined to read details).
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