Philippine Folk Dance

1. BENDIAN
Ibaloi-Kankanaey
Festival Dance

4. Introduction
 .The Ibaloi (Nabaloi) and Kankanaey
are indigenous ethnic groups found
in mountains of the Cordillera
Central on the island of Luzon.
 There are approximately 55,000
Ibaloi, most of them can be found in
the southern part of the province
of Benguet.

5.  The Kankanaey live in western
Mountain Province, northern
Benguet and southeastern Ilocos
Sur.
 Both groups perform the ceremony
called the Bendian.

6.  Bendian festival celebrated by the
Ibaloi and Kankanaey is always big
and extraordinary.
 It involves the village circling and
dancing around the ulul leader while
executing various arm movements.

7.  Lasting until the wee hours of the
night, the bedian ritual ends on the
sound of the loudest oway or war
cry.
 This version of Bendian centers
around the maiden's part of the
circle.

8.  Bendian is performed for many
reasons.
 Some of which are to heal a prolong
illness, relieve natural calamities
such as famine and drought, and to
celebrate a bountiful harvest.

9.  However, in the past the biggest
Bendian was to celebrate a victory
in war and a successful headhunt.
 Nowadays the festival is held for
important festive occasions.

10. Etymology
 Bendian, Bendaan or Bendayan
literally translates to “ let’s see who
gets tired first” is a circle dance “to
celebrate a victory”

11. Dance Properties
 Dance Culture – Highland Cordillera
 Place of Origin – Benguet
 Ethnolinguistic Group – Ibaloi and
Kankanaey
 Classification - Festival

13.  Props – none
 Mood – jovial
 Stance – erect
 Performers – all girls
 Formation - circle

14.  Music – Ganza (flat
gong), sulibao
(drum), takik
(triangle steel bar)
and bunkaka
(bamboo buzzer)
 Time Signature – 2/4

15. Costume
 Kambal – long sleeved jacket of abel
Iloko (Ilocano weave) with broad
stripes of blood red, bottle green,
blue, black and white accented with
strips of checkered cloth
 Aken (Divet) – knee-length wrap-
around skirt of the same material as
the jacket.

16.  Donas – cloth belt to secure the skirt
on the waist
 Headband of abel Iloko
 Akon – coin necklace/or seed bead
necklace; tabing – gold earrings;
anas – bracelet, complete the attire

18. Basic Steps
 Step on ball of L and brush-kick R
obliquely backward right (ct. 1)
Feet together (ct. and)
Repeat (ct. 2 and)
Heavy walk

19. Basic Gestures
 Various arm movements and
positions based on the command of
the ulul or leader

20.  Djinungluan (watch over) – arms
raided obliquely forward upward,
palms down
 Dimbabaw (display and observe) –
arms stretched laterally, palms
down
 Kinetangan (satisfaction) – hands in
alms position

21.  Pinaposan – palms facing front over
chest
 Inabaya – Open palms stiffly placed
behind butt, flipped outwards and
inwards like a bird’s tail
 Kiniyakan (dig) – like alms position
but both hands directed to one side

22. Choreographed Sequence
 Entrance - 15M – Djinungluan
(flipped); brush kick to formation
 Figure 1 –
 8M – Dimbabaw; brush kick
 8M – Dimbabaw; brush kick – four
walls

23.  Figure 2 –
 16M – Inabaya; trunk slightly
stooped; brush kick moving
CW/CCW; end forming circle, facing
center

24.  Figure 3 –
 8M – Diagonal arms (R obliquely
upward R), brush kick turning R in
place
 8M – reverse arm position; turn L

25.  Figure 4 –
 Facing center of circle
 4M – Djinungluan; brush kick
 4M –Turn right about; repeat
 8M – Repeat

26.  Figure 5 –8M –
 R stretched obliquely forward
upward; L on waist; brush kick,
move CW
 8M – Reverse arm position; move
CCW
 End in two columns

27.  Figure 6 –
 16M – Kinetangan forward; brush
kick
 Figure 7 –
 8M - Kiniyakan R; brush kick turning
R
 8M – Reverse arm position; turn L

28.  Figure 8 –
 8M – Alternate diagonal arms; feet
in 3rd
 8M – same arm movement; brush
kick

29.  Figure 9 –
 8M – Pinaposan; arms flapping
motion; feet in 3rd
 8M – Pinaposan; brush kick moving
to a column formation

30.  Figure 10 –
 Heavy steps, lead girl execute
djinungluan; girl behind holds
leading girl’s waist; 3rd girl hold 2nd
girl’s; so on

31. Source
PFDS Sayaw
Volume 3
pp. 11-15
 Dance Researcher –
Mr. Ramon A. Obusan