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Abstract. Indigenous Aeta dances are dances for enjoyment among the Aetas. Their dances are mostly imitations of their daily activities and mimicry of the movements of animals they see around them. Despite the popularity of indigenous dances from different provinces, Aeta dances remain unpublished although they are being performed in different tourist destinations in Pampanga and nearby provinces. How come there seem to be no published or notated Aeta dances? Granting the possibility that there may be published Aeta dances, such publication is probably very limited. It is for this reason that the researchers created choreography or theatrical interpretation of Aeta dances. The researchers conducted a qualitative study. The result reveals that there are 15 Aeta dances being performed by the elders and teenagers. The study also sought to ensure that the researchers created a dance following the authenticity of movement and historical background.
Keywords: indigenous, creative choreography, theatrical interpretation, notated dance, mimicry, Aeta
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3176/tr.2018.2.04
1.Introduction
The things that people do in their everyday life which have been passed on from generation to generation form part of history. These daily activities are part of the cultural traits of a given group of people. It is said that among the great sources of the country's cultural tradition are the folk and ethnic dances. Throughout history, dances have been performed to serve various purposes that different groups of people have such as to pay respect or show reverence to their ancestors and to celebrate significant moments in their lives as a community. In the Philippines, Filipino artists and scholars use dances in their attempt to rediscover, redefine, and document culture and history.
This paper presents the results of the researchers' attempt to explore, describe, document, and notate the dances of the Aeta communities that form part of the research locale. In exploring the said communities' native dances, the study aimed to rediscover the preserved cultural practices of the Aetas that form part of the rich Philippine culture and history and eventually promote the preservation of such practices in the hope of: 1) obtaining due recognition of the Aeta culture as a significant part of Pampanga's history; 2) coming up with a comprehensive depiction of the local heritage and traditions to which the emerging development of...