Basic Dance Steps for Philippine Folk Dance

Basic Dance Steps of Philippine Folk Dance

Dance steps among primitive Philippine people include a variety of hopping, leaping,dancing, pivoting , shuffling and brushing steps.

Description of dance steps

Hopping- Springing into the air from one foot and landing on the same foot

jumping- Movement without a point of support or Spring into the air off both feet and land on both feet

leaping-A transfer of weight from one foot to the other. Push off with a spring and land on the ball of the other foot, letting the heel come down Bend knee to absorb the shock

pivoting-A traveling turn executed with thighs locked and feet apart in extended fifth position

shuffling-A triple step similar to a Polka step with no lilt for example step forward left and bring the right foot up yo the heel of the left foot.


brushing-To brush, sweep or scuff the foot against the floor

Kumintang, a simple, classic gesture of rotating the hand and wrist and movement of arms which was believed to have been inspired by arnis.

Sarok or salok is an elaborate bow which must have been inspired by the woman acitivity of fetching water from a well.

The western influence brought the sway balance, waltz and tap dance steps.

sway-A tilt of the chest to the side, without lowering the torso Stretching from the side upwards

Waltz steps=A ballroom dance in 3/4 time which first developed in Vienna as a fast paced dance to the Strauss music of the time, and eventually evolved into the slower version we now know as Waltz (or Slow Waltz).