Singkíl (or Sayaw sa Kasingkil) is a folk dance of the Maranao people of

Lake Lanao Lake Lanao ( Maranao: ''Ranao'' or ''Ranaw'') is a large ancient lake in the province of Lanao del Sur, Philippines. With a surface area of , it is the largest lake in Mindanao, and the second largest lake in the Philippines and counted as one ...

depicting one of the episodes in the

epic poem An epic poem, or simply an epic, is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. ...

Darangen ''Darangen'' is a Maranao epic poem from the Lake Lanao region of Mindanao, Philippines. It consists of 17 cycles with 72,000 lines in iambic tetrameter or catalectic trochaic tetrameter. Each cycle pertains to a different self-contained story. T ...

'', which was popularised by the Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company.

Description

Folklore of the popular heritage of the State of the Philippines 15

''Singkil'' originated from the Maranao people who inhabit the shores of

. It is a re-telling of an episode from the Maranao epic legend ''Darangen'' involving the rescue of Princess Gandingan (abducted by '' diwata'') by the legendary Prince Bantugan. It is a popular dance performed during celebrations and other festive entertainment. Originally only women, particularly royalty, danced the ''Singkil'', which serves as either a conscious or unconscious advertisement to potential suitors. The dance takes its name from the heavy rings worn on the ankles of the Muslim princess. A ''

kulintang Kulintang ( id, kolintang, ms, kulintangan) is a modern term for an ancient instrumental form of music composed on a row of small, horizontally laid gongs that function melodically, accompanied by larger, suspended gongs and drums. As part of ...

'' and ''agung'' ensemble always accompanies the dance. The female lead dancer plays the role of Princess Gandingan of the ''Darangen'' epic, wearing the heavy rings around her ankles to keep time while she dances. In an episode of the Maranao epic, the princess is caught in the middle of the forest during an earthquake caused by the ''diwatas'' (or the guardian spirits) of the Kingdom of Bumbaran. The ''diwatas'' abducted the princess and entrapped her into a forest to teach the philandering Prince Bantugan a lesson. The falling trees during the earthquake (which the princess gracefully avoids) are represented by the bamboo poles arranged in a criss-crossed fashion and clacked together in a unique, syncopated rhythm. During the performance, the female lead dancer graciously steps in and out of the bamboo poles as she manipulates two elaborately designed fans called ''

apir Apir, also spelled aper, are traditional folding women's hand-held fans of the Maranao people of the Philippines. They are a part of the traditional dress of Maranao women. Royal ''bai'' (ladies) carry an apir in their right hand during ceremoni ...

''. Another female dancer represents the loyal slave of the princess who accompanies her throughout the ordeal. After a while, a male dancer, representing the legendary Prince Bantugan of the ''Darangen'' epic, performs his dance round and through the bamboo poles clacked together bearing a shield and a sword. The entrance of the male dancer symbolizes the arrival of Prince Bantugan who is determined to rescue the princess from the ''diwatas''. Other dancers skillfully manipulate the ''

'' fans, which represent the winds which prove to be auspicious. The dance steps require agile movement so that the dancer's feet won't be crushed by the moving bamboos. Meanwhile, the clacking bamboo poles represent the forces which the two characters had to overcome. The dance ends with the princess going home with the prince.

Adaptations

Bayanihan

When the Bayanihan Dance Company began performing the ''Singkíl'', the traditional dance was adapted to convey Western aesthetics. The Bayanihan portrayal, branded as the ''Princess Dance'' or the ''Royal Maranao Fan Dance'', became so popular that it is often mistaken for the authentic version of the dance. A notable variation from the original is its inclusion of male dancers, as pole clappers and in the role of the Prince, Rajah Bantugan. Additional sets of criss-crossing bamboo poles were also added. Further adaptation divided the dance into four movements: *First movement – "Asik", where the slave with umbrella is introduced. *Second movement – entrance of Putri Gandingan, the entourage of female fan or scarf dancers, and the arrival of Rajah Bantugan. *Third movement – ''Patay'', which is a slow section, and is a structural dance convention often found in Western performances. *Fourth movement – the climax in which all dancers dance to the crescendo of music.

Other versions

PCN (Pilipino Cultural Night) festivities held by foreign-based student groups and other theatrical dance companies have modernised interpretations of the dance, resulting in unorthodox portrayals of the ''Singkíl'' by even the most esteemed of Philippine folk dance choreographers. The Philippine Barangay Folkdance Troupe portrays the prince dancing scarves rather than with a sword and a shield. Some dance companies have even fused the ''Singkíl'' with

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form ...

, or make use of multiple layers of overlapping bamboos.

In film

The ''Singkíl'' was performed in the 2001

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

independent film '' The Debut''. The movie was directed by

Filipino American Filipino Americans ( fil, Mga Pilipinong Amerikano) are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipinos and other Asian ethnicities in North America were first documented in the 16th century as slaves and prisoners on ships sailing to and from New ...

filmmaker Gene Cajayon and starred

Dante Basco Dante R. Basco (born August 29, 1975) is an American film, television and voice actor. He is best known for his role as Rufio, the leader of the Lost Boys in Steven Spielberg's ''Hook'', and Julian Lee in '' Fakin' da Funk'', and for his many vo ...

. The film captured the essence of Filipino traditions and the blending of these with modern American culture.

References