History: Luzon and Philippine Folk Dances

Pandanggo sa Ilaw Luzon Folk Dance (Candle Dance) Pandanggo sa Ilaw – This popular dance of grace and balance comes from Lubang Island, Mindoro in the Visayas region. The term pandanggo comes from the Spanish word fandango, which is a dance characterized by lively steps and clapping that varies in rhythm in 3/4 time. This particular pandanggo involves the presence of three tinggoy or oil lamps, balanced on the head and the back of each hand. . It is said to have originated from Mindoro, the seventh-largest island in the Philippines.
This dance of lights simulates fireflies at dusk and at night. The music to which the pandanggo sa ilaw is now commonly danced was composed by Col. Antonio R. Buenaventura, a National Artist for Music and a native of Bulacan. He wrote the music sometime in the early 1930’s while teaching at the Conservatory of Music at the University of the Philippines Costumes: . Kimono, Saya and Malong. History of Pandanggo sa Ilaw These a fore mentioned Philippine folk dances are ethnic in nature and origin.
On the other hand, there are several Philippine folk dances that were influenced by some Western countries as some of these had colonized Philippines in the past. One such country is Spain. Some of the so-called “influenced” Philippine folk dances are the following: Pandango sa Ilaw, Carinosa, Balitao and Rigodon. To conclude, these folk dances whether ethnic in origin or not reflect the lively culture that the Filipinos have. These dances may be diverse but through these cultural forms, the Filipinos are unified and proud by way of having Philippine folk dances that are truly one of the bests in the world.