I was able to watch a Singkíl performance during our visit to Villa Escudero which is a part of their cultural presentations held during weekends.
Singkil (or Sayaw sa Kasingkil) is a folk dance of the Maranao people in Lake Lanao based on the epic legend Darangen which is an adaptation of Ramayana, it was then popularised by the Bayanihan Philippine Folk Dance Company.
Singkil (or Sayaw sa Kasingkil) is a folk dance of the Maranao people in Lake Lanao based on the epic legend Darangen which is an adaptation of Ramayana, it was then popularised by the Bayanihan Philippine Folk Dance Company.
It portrays an Indian epic Ramayana which involves the rescue of Princess Gandingan who were abducted by the diwatas led by the legendary Prince Bantugan. It is a popular dance performed during celebrations and other festive entertainment. The dance takes its name from the heavy rings which were worn on the ankles of a Muslim princess. A "kulintang" and an "agung" ensemble always accompanies the dance.
The Female Lead Dancer plays the role of Princess Gandingan of the Darangen epic while wearing 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 which represent the winds that proves to be auspicious. The entrance of the male dancer symbolizes the arrival of Prince Bantugan who is determined to rescue the princess from the diwatas. 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.
Special thanks to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singkil
