Philippine Folk Dance

1. SILONG
SA
GANDING
(Maguindanaon Dance)

3. Introduction
• Silong sa Ganding is a Maguindanao
dance that is a favorite among royal
courts.
• The dance is a very demanding dance of
discipline because hand positions and
placements required are very precise.

4. • Dancers go around doing a series of taman
bali or agam with their wrists continuously
flicked in and out in front, at the sides, or
down and up.
• Four dancers perform the Silong sa Ganding
each representing one gong in a gandingan
set.
• The dance starts very slow but gets frenzied
after a little while.

5. Etymology
• Silong sa Ganding derived its name from
silong, which is a rhythm of music played on
the gandingan, a set of four shallow rimmed
gongs played in a manner "imitating the
human voice“.
• Ganding is obviously derived from gandingan.
Silong sa Ganding would thus be translated
like, 'following the rhythms of the gandingan'.

6. DanceProperties
• Dance Culture – Lowland Muslim
• Place of Origin – Cotabato City and
Maguindanao
• Ethnolinguistic Group – Maguindanaon
• Classification - Festival

8. • Music – provided by the kulintang
ensemble and gandingan (4 suspended
gongs with narrow rims)
• Time Signature – 4/4 (cts 1 2 3 4)

10. • Props - none
• Mood – Jovial
• Stance – Erect
• Performers – 4 girls

11. • Costume :
• Banggala – long-sleeved blouse made of
shiny material, decorated with brooches
and buttons at the neckline
• Malong – tube skirt
• Tendong (veil) or kombong (turban) to
cover the hair
• Dancers are barefooted

13. Basic Steps
• Close Step
• Step R (L) swd R (L) ; step L (R) close to R (L)
• done several times to one side with heels
• slightly raised
• Touch Step on Balls
• Fall and Raise

14. Basic Gestures
• Gesture 1: From arms dwn at sides, raise them
upwd to chest level, palms up, fingers pointed
dwnd (4 cts); flip hands upwd (1 ct), move
hands apart execute inward and outward
okkir, bring arms extended to R (L) side,
fingers pointed upwd (3 cts); two pushing
actions with shoulder movement (4 cts)

15. • Gesture 2 (8M) : Bring both arms bwd (or
crossed in front of chest) and flip hands bwd
(1) ; bring arms to second position with fingers
pointed upwd and execute two pushing
actions (3) ;
• bring arms to 4th position (R raised and palms
outward (4)

16. • Gesture 3: Swing both arms swd-dnwd R (1);
swing both arms upd L (2); swing arms upwd
R (3); swing arms upwd L (4 )
• Gesture 4: Extend R fwd and L bwd ; inward
okkir 2X (2 )

17. • Gesture 5 : Swing L fwd-upwd while the R
swings bwd-dwnd; reverse arms positions per
measure
• Gesture 6 : L (R) is directed fwd with fingers
upwd and palm facing front; R (L) is directed
swd R (L), execute push and inward okkir
alternately

18. Choreographed Sequence
• Start with kneel sit position
• Fig 1 (16M)
• very slow gesture 1 , push R side (in 16M)
• Fig 2 (16)
• Repeat, L push
• Gradually stand to feet in first

19. • Fig 3 (16M)
• 8M – Tiny close steps moving swd R; basic 1
• gesture
• 8M – Continue tiny close steps; basic 6
• Fig 4 (16M)
• Repeat Fig 3 moving and pushing swd L

20. • Fig 5 (16M)
• 4M - Make a half turn R so that back faces
audience, executing touch step R and L
alternately; gesture 3
• 4M – Fall and raise, execute gesture 4
• 8M - repeat

21. • Fig 6 (16M)
• 8M - Fall and raise; gesture 2, start with arms
flipped bwd
• 8M – Fall and raise; gesture 2 start with hands
crossed front
• Fig 7
• 16M – Repeat Figure 6

22. • Fig 8 (16M)
• 2M – close step swd R and L ; swing arms at
sides
• 2M – Two close steps R and L
• 4M – Repeat
• 8M – Move to L (start closer step L)

23. • Fig 9 (16M)
• 4M – Touch step R and L alternately; gesture 3
• 4M - Repeat
• 8M – Repeat
• Fig 10 (16M) Repeat Fig 3 and 4
• Fig 11 (16M)

24. • Fig 12 (16M)
• Touch step R and L alternately; gesture 5
• Exit Figure (12M)
• Fall and raise, gesture 2 start with hands
crossed in front of chest
• Move to exit