Tinikling - A Dance You DON'T Hear About Everyday

Tinikling. Although I'm a proud Filipina myself, I haven't really tried it.Or rather danced this traditional dance of the Philippines. Although while getting some back story on this cultural dance, I've been amazed. I mean... All I knew about the Philippines (where most of my relatives are from) was their food.

What made me want to learn more? I was curious about where my family was from (the Philippines) and what all their cultures were, as well as the history of the Philippines. Since I've been born and raised in the US all this time, I wanted to learn a bit more about a country besides America. Hence, the Philippines.

Now.. Moving onto "Tinikling". Tinikling, as you may have already guessed, is a traditional dance of the Philippines. If you haven't seen a tinikling show before, then let me describe it in a few words. It involves four or two (or as many sticks) bamboo poles, in which two people must skip in and out of the poles without their feet getting caught in between one of the poles. At the same time, there will be people holding the poles and moving them in patterns. And soon, they will create the illusion of dancing. It really does take some fancy footwork - believe me. Not only is it a traditional dance, it can also be considered a game. Because the longer they repeat the process, the quicker the poles get. So watch your feet!

If you were to compare hip-hop and tinikling as an example, then you wouldn't find much similarities from the besides the fact that they are both dance styles. But - tinikling is as important to the people of the Philippines as one of their historic cultures, as hip-hop is important to those that like that style (as I do). So in the end, it's a win-win.

If you think about it, they all fall under one category. They're all part of our own different cultures.