PR | COMMON DANCE TERMS

ABRASETE

GIRL AT THE RIGHT SIDE, HOLDS R ARM OF PARTNER WITH HER L HAND, FREE HANDS DOWN AT THE SIDES

THIS TERM IS OF SPANISH ORIGIN AND IS USED IN RIGODON AND IN OTHER DANCES

ARMS IN LATERAL POSITION

BOTH ARMS ARE AT ONE SIDE, EITHER SIDEWARD RIGHT OR LEFT

THIS MAY BE DONE AT SHOULDER, CHEST, OR WAIST LEVEL

ARMS IN REVERSE “T” POSITION

ARMS ARE SIDE HORIZONTAL, ELBOWS BENT DOWN AT RIGHT ANGLES, FOREARMS PARALLEL TO CHEST, PALMS BACKWARD OR FACING INWARD, FISTS LOOSELY CLOSED

ARMS IN “T” POSITION

ARMS ARE SIDE HORIZONTAL, ELBOWS BENT DOWN AT RIGHT ANGLES, FOREARMS PARALLEL TO CHEST, PALSM BACKWARD OR FACING INWARD, FISTS LOOSELY CLOSED

COSTADOS

WHEN DANCERS ARE IN SQUARE FORMATION, THE COUPLES OCCUPYING THE LENGTH OF THE HAL ARE CALLED THIS

AKA SIDE PAIRS

THIS IS OF SPANISH ORIGIN

CROSSED ARMS

PATTERNS ARE FACING EACH OTHER OR STANDING SIDE BY SIDE, GIRL AT THE RIGHT OF THE BOY

THEY JOIN THEIR L HANDS TOGETHER AND THEIR R HANDS TOGETHER, EITHER R OVER L OVER R HANDS

CUT

TO DISPLACE QUICKLY ONE FOOT WITH THE OTHER, THUS COMPLETELY TAKING OF THE WEIGHT OF THE BODY FROM THE DISPLACED FOOT

DO-SI-DO

AKA DOS-A-DOS

AKA VIS-A-VIS (OPPOSITE)

BOTH ADVANCE FORWARD, PASS EACH OTHERS RIGHT (R LEFT) SIDE, STEP ACROSS THE THE RIGHT (OR LEFT) SIDE TO PROPER PLACES

THIS IS OF FOREIGN ORIGIN AND IS USED IN MANY PHILIPPINE DANCES

FREE FOOT

THE FOOT NOT BEARING THE WEIGHT OF THE BODY

FREE HAND

THE HAND NOT PLACED ANYWHERE OR NOT DOING ANYTHING

HANDS ON WAIST

PLACE HANDS AT THE WAIST LINE (THE SMALLEST PART OF THE TRUNK), KNUCKLES IN, FINGERS POINTING REAR

HAPAY

TO FLOURISH OR OFFER A HANDKERCHIEF, HAT OR GLASS OF WINE TO SOMEBODY AS A SIGN OF INVITATION

HAYON-HAYON

TO PLACE ONE FOREARM IN FRONT AND OTHER AT THE BACK OF THE WAIST

THIS IS A VISAYAN TERM

HOP

A SPRING FROM ONE FOOT LANDING ON THE SAME FOOT IN PLACE OR IN ANY DIRECTION

THE OTHER MAY BE RAISED INANY DIRECTION (IN FRONT, IN REAR, SIDEWARD, OR ACROSS)

INSIDE FOOT

THE FOOT NEAREST TO ONE’S PARTNER, WHEN PARTNERS STAND SIDE BY SIDE

INSIDE HAND

THE HAND NEAREST ONE’S PARTNER, WHEN PARTNERS STAND SIDE BY SIDE

BILAO

TO TURN PAIRS OF HANDS UP AND DOWN ALTERNATIVELY

HANDS AT WAIST LEVEL IN FRONT, ELBOWS CLOSE TO WAIST

BRUSH

WEIGHT IN ONE FOOT, HIT THE FLOOR WITH THE BALL OR HEEL OF THE OTHER FOOT (THE FREE FOOT) AFTER WHICH THAT FOOT IS LIFTED FROM THE FLOOR TO ANY DIRECTION

COUNTERCLOCKWISE

THE REVERSE DIRECTION OF CLOCKWISE

L SHOULDER IS TOWARD THE CENTER OF AN IMAGINARY CIRCLE

WHEN FACING THE CENTER, THE MOVEMENT IS TOWARD THE RIGHT

CABECERAS

WHEN FANCERS ARE IN SQUARE FORMATION, THE COUPLES OCCUPYING THE WIDTH OF THE HALL ARE CALLED THIS

AKA HEAD COUPLES

THIS IS OF SPANISH ORIGIN

CLOCKWISE

LIKE THE MOTION OF THE HANDS OF THE CLOCK

R SHOULDER IS TOWARD THE CENTER OF AN IMAGINARY CIRLCE

WHEN FACING THE CENTER, THE MOVEMENT IS TOWARD THE LEFT

JALEO

PARTNERS TURN ONCE AROUND CLOCKWISE (WITH R ELBOWS ALMOST TOUCHING) OR COUNTERCLOCKWISE (WITH L ELBOWS ALMOST TOUCHING) USING WALKING OR ANY KIND OF DANCE STEP

THE HANDS NEAR EACH OTHER ARE ON WAISTS

THIS IS A TAGALOG TERM BUT OF SPANISH ORIGIN

JUMP

SPRING ON ONE FOOT OR BOTH FEET, LANDING ON BOTH IN ANY DIRECTION

KUMINTANG

MOVING THE HAND FROM THE WRIST EITHER IN A CLOCKWISE OR COUNTERCLOCKWISE DIRECTION

THIS IS AN ILOCANO TERM

LEAP

A SPRING FROM ONE FOOT, LANDING ON THE OTHER FOOT IN ANY DIRECTION (FORWARD, SIDEWARD, BACKWARD, OBLIQUE)

MASIWAK

TO TURN THE HANDS FROM WRIST HALF-WAY CLOCKWISE THEN RAISE THE LOWER WRIST ONCE OR TWICE

THIS IS AN IBANAG TERM

OUTSIDE FOOT

THE FOOT AWAY FROM ONE’S PARTNER, WHEN PARTNERS STAND SIDE-BY-SIDE

OUTSIDE HAND

THE HAND AWAY FROM ONE’S PARTNER, WHEN PARTNERS STAND SIDE-BY-SIDE

PATAY

TO BEND THE HEAD DOWNWARD AND SUPPORT THE FOREHEAD WITH THE R(L) FOREARM OR WITH THE CROOK OF THE R(L) ELBOW WHILE THE L(R) HAND

THIS IS USUALLY DONE WITH THE L(R) FOOT POINTING IN REAR AND KNEES LIGHTLY BENT

THIS IS AN ILOCANO TERM AND THE MOVEMENT IS COMMONLY FOUND IN ILOCANO DANCES

POINT

TOUCH THE FLOOR LIGHTLY WITH THE TOES OF ONE FOOT, WEIGHT OF THE BODY ON THE OTHER FOOT

SALOK

TO SWING THE ARM DOWNWARD-UPWARD PASSING IN FRONT OF THE BODY AS IF SCOOPING, THE TRUNK IS BENT FORWARD FOLLOWING THE MOVEMENT OF THE ARM DOING THE “SALOK”

THIS IS A TAGALOG TERM

SALUDO

PARTNERS BOW TO EACH OTHER, TO AUDIENCE, OPPOSITE DANCERS, OR TO THE NEIGHBORS WITH FEET TOGETHER

THIS TERM IS OF SPANISH ORIGIN AND IS USED IN ALMOST ALL PHILIPPINE DANCES

SAROK

AKA SAROC

CROSS THE L(R) FOOT IN FRONT OF THE L(R), BEND THE BODY SLIGHTLY FORWARD AND CROSS THE HANDS (FOREARMS) DOWN IN FRONT WITH THE R(L) HAND (FOREARM) OVER THE L(R)

THIS IS A VISAYAN TERM

SET

A DANCE FORMATION LIKE A SQUARE OR A UNIT FORMATION COMPOSED OF TWO OR MORE PAIRS

SLIDE

TO SLIDE FOOT SMOOTHLY ALONG THE FLOOR

THE MOVEMENET MAY BE FINISHED WITH OR WITHOUT TRANSFER OF WEIGHT

STAMP

TO BRING DOWN THE FOOT FORCIBLY AND NOISILY ON THE FLOOR (LIKE DOING A HEAVY STEP) WITH OR WITHOUT TRANSFER OF WEIGHT

STAR WITH RIGHT HAND

FOUR OR MORE PEOPLE JOINT R HANDS AT CENTER AND CIRCLE AROUND CLOCKWISE USING WALKING OR ANY KIND OF DANCE STEP

STAR WITH LEFT HAND

SAME AS “STAR WITH R HAND” BUT JOINING L HANDS AN TURNING COUNTERCLOCKWISE

SUPPORTING FOOT

FOOT THAT BEARS THE WEIGHT OF THE BODY

TAP

TO TAP SLIGHTLY WITH THE BALL OR OE OF THE FREE FOOT, FLEXING THE ANKLE JOINT KEEPING WEIGHT OF THE BODY ON THE OTHER FOOT

THERE IS NO CHANGE OR TRANSFER OF WEIGHT

WHIRL

TO TAKE FAST TURNS BY EXECUTING SMALL STEPS IN PLACE TO RIGHT OR LEFT