Tikbubulan: Transitions from Folk Song to Creative Dance

Abstract

This article tells the story of a teacher creating a dance based on a traditional folk song that has been sung for generations. Since most Philippine folk dances have been studied and created based on the culture of a particular group of people, this study contributes to its wide array of already existing ones. The researcher made use of mimicking a bird which is the theme of the folk song. This included the movements of the bird when it stretches, flies with other birds, its courting movements and how it moves or hops about. These traits are personified in the humorous or playful character of the Waray people. Since studying Philippine folk dance is part of the school curriculum, it is imperative that instructional materials be developed to make the delivery of instructions more meaningful, enjoyable and rewarding with the use of existing materials which are already familiar to students such as folk songs. Using the cultural study as its design, the study explores a new dance based on the Tikbubulan folksong. Basic movements and steps were taken from the dance steps introduced by Francisca Reyes Aquino. Other dance steps were created through the creativity of the choreographer so as to show clearly the characteristics of the Tikbubulan bird and how people mimic it. Despite the cultural influence of other countries, education has a role to play in the preservation of Philippine culture which gives identity to its people and is different from that of other countries around the world.