TINIKLING

The tinikling is one of the most popular and well-known of traditional Philippine dances. The tinikling is a pre-Spanish dance from the Philippines that involves two people beating, tapping, and sliding bamboo poles on the ground and against each other in coordination with one or more dancers who step over and in between the poles in a dance. The name is a reference to birds locally known as tikling, which can be any of a number of rail species; the term tinikling literally means "tikling-like".

The steps of this dance are an imitation of the movements of a “tikling” bird that hops and escapes the traps set by hunters. Moving with poise and grace, the dancers skip in-between two bamboo poles that are held to pound rhythmically against each other. This dance is a specialty of Leyte.

How to Dance Tinikling

Pole players on knees holding the end of one pole in each hand. Dancer(s) stand at the left side of the poles facing forward.

INTRODUCTION

• 1. Stand, boys have their hands behind their backs, girls hold their skirts (or put their hands on their waists).
• 2. As music begins, bow to the opposite pole person, then the pole person beside you.
• 3. Continue with four toe touches (Count 1-2, tap right foot twice; Count 3, lift right foot...This gives everyone an opportunity to establish the timing.)

BASIC TINIKLING STEPS

• A – Front tinikling steps (Start with the right foot, do 7 basic tinikling steps. On 8th beat, do one tinikling step with quarter turn.)
• B – Repeat A. three more times.

QUARTER TURN TINIKLING STEP

• A – Complete 16 tinikling steps with the quarter turn to make 4 complete boxes.

CROSSOVER-COMBINATION

• 1 - Cross the left foot over right and step to the centre of the poles.
• 2 – Step the right foot to the right of the poles./li>
  
• 3 – Step the left foot to the right of the poles.


• 1 - Cross the right foot over left and step to the centre of the pole.


• 2 – Step the left foot to the left of the poles.


• 3 – Step the right foot to the left of the poles.

Repeat the above 7 more times. BASIC TINIKLING STEPS

• A – Front tinikling steps (Start with the right foot, do 7 basic tinikling steps. On 8th beat, do one tinikling step with quarter turn.)
• B – Repeat A. two more times.
• C – To finish the dance, do 5 basic tinikling steps. On the 6th beat, do one tinikling step with a quarter turn; on 7th and 8th beat, bow to the opposite pole person, then the pole person beside you.