Cultural Arts

Our members participate throughout the year in many different cultural dances and performing arts. They perform at on-campus events, including our annual show Mystique, as well as other events. Here are a few examples.

CHINA: CHINESE YO-YO

Reference to the "empty bell" was first found in annals of the Ming Dynasty between 1386 and 1644 AD. The bamboo or empty bell, commonly known today as the Chinese yo-yo, was originally made of two round, wooden ends connected in the middle by a horizontal piece of wood. This simple toy was nevertheless an integral part of ancient Chinese culture. Performers of the Chinese yo-yo could often be found in the ongoing street entertainment of Chinese festivals. The yo-yo was also an especially popular pastime in the northern parts of China during the springtime.

Since then, the yo-yo has survived hundreds of years with a few minor changes in appearance; for example, the modern-day yo-yo is now usually made of plastic, not wood. Despite these superficial changes, the yo-yo remains a popular toy today, and has not only evolved into a distinctive performance art but also serves as a unique reminder of Chinese heritage.

- taken from Harvard Yo-Yo Club's Website

JAPAN: TAIKO

In Japanese, taiko literally means "drum," though the term has also come to refer to the art of Japanese drumming, also known as kumi-daiko. Taiko has been a part of the Japanese culture for centuries. Centuries ago, taiko was used predominately in the military arena. As it evolved, Japanese Buddhist and Shinto religions gradually began to take it on as a sacred instrument. Historically, it has existed in a multitude of other environments, including agrarian, theater, and the imperial court.

The art of kumi-daiko, performance as an ensemble, originated post-war in Showa 26 (1951). It was created by Daihachi Oguchi, a jazz drummer who serendipitously stumbled across an old piece of taiko music. Wondering why taiko were never played together, he broke with tradition by forming a taiko drum ensemble. More recently, taiko has enjoyed not only a resurgence of interest in Japan, where there are over 4,000 taiko ensembles, but also transplantation and evolution in North America.

- taken from Stanford Taiko's Homepage

PHILIPPINES: TINIKLING

Honored as the Philippine national dance, Tinikling is a favorite in the Visayan islands, especially on the island of Leyte. The dance imitates the movement of the tikling birds as they walk between grass stems, run over tree branches, or dodge bamboo traps set by rice farmers. Dancers imitate the tikling bird's legendary grace and speed by skillfully maneuvering between large bamboo poles.

- taken from Noel's Pilipino Folk Dance Glossary

INDIA: TRADITIONAL BHANGRA

This is the famous folk dance from the Punjab in the north of India.  It is mainly performed at joyous occasions such as weddings and festivals.  Bhangra is closely associated with farming, the main occupation in Punjab.  It reflects the spirited animation of the Punjabi farmer who is happy with the results of his labor.  A drummer, who plays the dhol, a large two-headed barrel shaped wooden drum played with two sticks accompanies the dancers.  Also, a singer will sing boliyaan, traditional songs from the Punjab.  A typical performance consists of between four and eight dancers, one singer, and one drummer.

- taken from 4 x 4 Bhangra Essentials

PHILIPPINES: SUBLI

From the province of Batangas comes this ancient dance, originally performed in veneration of the holy cross of Alitagtag, referred to in the vernacular as Mahal na Poong Santa Cruz. The word subli is derived from two Tagalog words, subsub (stooped) and bali (broken). Hence, the men are stooped throughout the dance and appear to be lame and crooked, while the women dance with hats.

- taken from Noel's Pilipino Folk Dance Glossary

INDIA: BHARATA NATYAM

Of the various forms of classical dance in India, Bharata Natyam is believed to be the oldest, because it is the form which is based to the largest extent, on ancient texts on the dance. For centuries it was danced by Devadasis in the temples of south India. Movement, mime and music contribute in equal measure to this beautiful dance from Tamil Nadu. It is a solo,  dance which is devotioal in spirit. Highly stylised and sophisticated in its technique, Bharata Natyam is evenly divided between nritta, pure dance, and nritya, expressinal compositions. The songs pertain mostly to the theme of love but not sensual love. These are given an elevated and somewhat spiritual flavour.

- taken from the University of Michigan's Classical Dance page

PHILIPPINES: SINGKIL

This dance takes its name from the bells worn on the ankles of the Muslim princess. Perhaps one of the oldest of truly Filipino dances, the Singkil recounts the epic legend of the "Darangan" of the Maranao people of Mindanao. This epic, written sometime in the 14th century, tells the fateful story of Princess Gandingan, who was caught in the middle of a forest during an earthquake caused by the diwatas, or fairies of the forest. The criscrossed bamboo poles represent the trees that were falling, which she gracefully avoids. Her slave loyally accompanies her throughout her ordeal. Finally, she is saved by the prince. Dancers skillfully manipulate apir, or fans which represent the winds that prove to be auspicious. Royal princesses to this day in the Sulu Archipelago are required to learn this most difficult and noble dance. 

There are other versions of Singkil.  Perhaps the version more widely performed by dance companies is the "Garden Singkil."  The story goes that the princess goes into her garden, accompanied by her slave, and plays with the butterflies, which are represented by the fan dancers.  The movements of the fans supposedly represent those of the butterflies, as opposed to the diwatas.  In another popular version, the prince uses a scarf instead of a sword.

- taken from Noel's Pilipino Folk Dance Glossary