Philippine Folk Dance

1. KADAL HEROYON
T’boli Dance
of Flirtation

5. Introduction
• The T'boli are of proto-Malayan stock
and are found in the mountain ranges
of South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat
Provinces.
• They have shown their wealth of craft,
elaborate traditional dresses and
vivacious dances and music.

6. • They are known for their unusual tie-dyed
and woven abaca cloth called
t’nalak used for dresses during
ceremonies and festivities.
• The intricate process in making
the t’nalak includes dyeing and
painstaking weaving on back-strap looms
in addition to strict folk customs that must
be followed in making this cloth.

7. • The T'boli women are
known for their body
ornaments.
• During ordinary days, the
women can be seen wearing
several sets of beaded
necklaces, brass or beaded
dangling earrings, and a
wooden comb decorated
with round pieces of mirror
and trimmed with beads and
fibers or horse's hair.

8. • The men nowadays wear their traditional
dresses made of t’nalak only during
special occasions.
• According to their custom,
“to be a T’boli is to be beautiful” so
that man and woman could attract each
other

9. • In T’boli society, a girl
aged 5-6 years is already
well-versed in the art of
cosmetics.
• They learn to pluck their
eyebrows into thin lines,
put on make-up and learn
to arrange their hair in
the traditional hair-do.

10. • The Kadal Heroyon is dance which
portrays this art of beautification to
attract would be suitors.

11. Etymology
• Kadal (madal) is the T’boli term
for “dance”
• Heroyon means “flirty gesture”
• The dance is about the art of
beautification and subtle flirtation to
attract the opposite sex.

12. Dance Properties
• Dance Culture – Highland
Indigenous
• Place of Origin – Lake Sebu, South
Cotabato
• Ethnolinguistic Group – T’boli
• Classification – Mime of
beautification/flirtation

14. • Props – “luwek” or
tube skirt slung
around the neck
• Music – provided by
the drum called
t’nonggong,
k’lintang koyo
(wooden xylophone)
and blowon (bossed
gong)
• Time Signature –
4/4

15. • Mood – G: restrained; shy; coy
• B: virile; strong
• Stance – Very stooped
• Performers – Solo G ; all G ; G with
B; G group with B
• Formation – as desired

16. Costume
• G:
• K’gal nisif, a pull-over dark blue blouse
intricately embroidered in cross-stitches
and embellished with mother-of-pearl
sequins
• Luwek, an ankle-length tube skirt of
Maguindanaon malong; another luwek is
slung around the neck; this could be of
t’nalak

18. • S’wat, wooden
comb adorned with
strung beads, horse
hair and mirrors
• S’laong
kinibang, wide
conical hat covered
with red cloth
appliqued with
white, blue, black
designs

19. • Hilet t’noyong,
brass chain-mail belt
with dangling hawk
bells
• Blonso, brass
bracelets
• Leig, beadwork
necklace
• Singkil s’gulong,
metal anklet filled
with metal balls
• Rings and earrings

21. • B:
• K’gal saro, jacket
of t’nalak cloth
• Sawal taho,
short or long pants
of t’nalak secured
to the waist by a
hilet l’mimot,
beadwork belt with
dangling bells

22. • Ulew, square cloth
tied as a turban
• S’laong , hat
• The T’boli man also
wears jewelries like
necklaces, bracelets
and rings
• Kafilan, sword in a
scabbard with cord
tied around the waist

26. Basic Steps and Gestures
• Flat-footed Step stamps (T’boli tiny
steps)
• (B executes this with slight tiptoes)
• Controlled jump (2X per M)
• Heavy walk
• Agam with knee spring, feet in 3rd

27. • Arms in reverse T with finger flutter
• Hands on waist
• Arms outstretched as if in flying gesture
• Hands holding the lower ends of the
luwek:
• swooping
• circling
• Beautification gestures

28. Choreographed Sequence
•Note:
•The dance has no standard
pattern in its authentic
form.
•What is presented here is the
theatrical presentation of
the dance

29. • This choreographed version
depicts several ladies trying to
compete with one another to
attract the attention and
affection of a man; therefore the
performance requires a lot of
improvisation

30. • Fig 1
• 4M – jumps ; flip hands down at R
side, move them upward like wings;
return to start position
• 12M – do this 3x more

31. • Fig 2
• 4M – agam L; L hand on waist, R
extended sideward, execute flying
motion
• 4M – repeat
• 8M – agam R; flying motions with the
L

32. • Fig 3
• 4M – with trunk tilted L, both hands
to the R side, execute up-down
motions; tiny steps moving R
• 4M – tiny steps turning R
• 8M – execute same steps to the L

33. • Fig 4
• 4M – tiny steps moving fwd; hands
extended downward-sideward
holding the lower end of the luwek
• 4M – tiny steps doing fast turn R; L
on waist while R is extended
downward-sideward
• 8M – Repeat; turning L

34. • Fig 5
• 8M – R side facing audience; tiny
steps; arm circling while holding the
luwek
• 8M – repeat, L side facing audience

35. • Fig 6
• 4M – Tiny steps moving bwd R; arms
in 2nd holding luwek
• 4M – Repeat moving bwd L
• 8M – Turn R with tiny steps;
beautification gestures with forearm
movements

36. • Fig 7
• G: heavy walks going around to
attract the attention of the B
• B : enters the dance floor, executing
tiny steps; positions himself opposite
the G line

37. • Fig 8
• B advancing opposite the G line
• 4M – scooping motion; walk
advancing to exchange places
• 4M – turn right about; walk bwd to
move away;
• 8M – repeat to return to places

38. • Fig 9
• 16M
• As the B goes around the G line to
make his choice,
• G makes the gestures of beautifying
themselves – fixing their hair, putting
on make up etc.

39. • Fig 10
• as the B walks around opposite the G
• G:
• 8M – tiny steps; arms in reverse T
with finger flutter
• 8M – tiny steps moving a bit bwd;
extend R arm towards the B; finger
flutter

40. • Fig 11
• 16M
• B approaches the G one by one; first
to G1 (others beautify themselves
once more);
• To G2 -----
• Other girls quarrel

41. • Fig 12
• with B kneeling at center
• G:
• 16M – tiny steps; extend R and L
arms downward-sideward alternately
while holding the luwek

42. • Fig 13
• B stays at the L side of stage
• G:
• 16M – repeat Fig 1

43. • Fig 14
• 16M – Repeat Fig 12; this time the B
swings his luwek as if holding a net
trying to catch his choice; he weaves
in and out of the circle of G
• He places his luwek around the waist
of the G of his choice on the last ct.

44. • 8M – B moves (while still tied with
his luwek around her waist) his
choice away from the G group
• The G’s not chosen makes the
gestures of crying while making their
exit on the opposite side of the stage

45. Source
• Dance Research of
• Prof. Ceasar Amirhassan F. Nimor
presented during the
• 27th PFDS National Folk Dance Workshop
• May 21-25, 2007
• Cebu City
• Demonstrated by the Biokinetics Dance Club