REGATONES

DANCE EXTRAVAGANZA – PHILIPPINE FOLK DANCE CATEGORY

COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND SCIENCES (CHS)

MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY

Table of Contents

Background/Context ................................................................................................................ 3
Dance properties ..................................................................................................................... 3
Costume .................................................................................................................................. 3
Equipments ............................................................................................................................. 3
Music ...................................................................................................................................... 3
Count ...................................................................................................................................... 3
Regatones Dance formation and Dance steps ........................................................................ 4
MUSIC I ............................................................................................................................. 4
MUSIC II ............................................................................................................................ 5
MUSIC III .......................................................................................................................... 6
MUSIC IV .......................................................................................................................... 7
MUSIC V............................................................................................................................ 8
MUSIC VI .......................................................................................................................... 9
MUSIC VII ......................................................................................................................... 9
References ............................................................................................................................... 10

2
 REGATONES
Dance Researches and : Rubin K. Demonteberde
Resource Persons : Jielyne M. Demonteberde
1995 National Folk Dance Works

Meaning : Travelling Fish Vendors

Dance Culture : Lowland Christian

Place of Origin : Cadiz City, Negros Occidental
Ethnolinguistic Group : Visayan
Classification : Occupational Dance

Background/ Context:

Traditionally, the Regatones (traveling fish vendors), together with women fish buyers
(labaceros) used to wait for the arrival of fishermen in the long and bountiful shoreline in the
town of Cadiz, now Cadiz City, Negros Occidental. They hurriedly run towards the banca to
select and purchase the fish they like to sell. The “Regatones” sell the fish with the aid of two
“Paraka” (a shallow rounded basket made of bamboo) attached to both ends of long flat strip
(tuwang-tuwangan) balanced on the shoulder until today, this activity is still a practice in
suburban area of Cadiz.

While waiting for the fishermen to arrive, the “Regatones” and women fish buyers tease
each other by doing “Tuwangan” and tricks in maneuvering their “Tuwang-tuwangan” with
the “Paraka” that eventually developed into a folk dance.

Dance Properties:

Costume:
Female: Baro’t Saya or long Balintawak with butterfly sleeves and tapis.

Male: Camisa de Chino and colored pants, neckerchief and buri hat.

Equipments: two paraka (a shallow rounded basket made of bamboo) attached to both ends in
the tuwang-tuwangan (a long flat strip of bamboo).

Music: 3/4; 2/4 Composed of three parts; A, B and C

Count: One, two, three to a measure in ¾ time signature One, two or one, two
and to a measure in 2/4-time signature.

Formation: Partners stand side by side, Girl at the right side of the boy when facing audience.

3
 ENTRANCE

Execute 16 running steps forward to proper places. Boys carrying tuwang-tuwangan

with paraka on the R hand. L arm swinging freely at the side. Girls go with boys,
swaying hips right and left alternately, hands holding skirt. Both shouts together “isda
lab-as isda!”
(a)
(b)

SALUDO

Partners face audience, Girl at the right of the Boy, with L hand place on the R
shoulder of the boy, R hand holding skirt.
(a) Girl: Take three step turn left (L, R, L) passing to partner’s L shoulder passing in
front of and under paraka……1M
(b)Face partner and step R foot forward and lean forward pointing L foot in rear wit
the knee straight and hold the paraka with both hands and look at the
partner….1M
(c)Boy: Pause…. 1M

Music A
Partners face audience.
Girl:
(a)Take sixteen waltz steps sideward, R and L alternately doing the tuwang-
tuwangan arm movement (arms in the first position, fist hand close, move R and
L arm up and down alternately as if balancing the tuwang-tuwangan)
………………………………………………………………………….16M
Boy: Hold tuwang-tuwangan with both hands in front of the chest level.
(a)Starting with the R foot, take eight waltz steps sideward, R and L alternately.
Move hands up and down alternately, balancing the tuwang-
tuwangan………………………………………………………………………
…….8M
(b)Transfer tuwang-tuwangan over R shoulder and hold it with the R hand, L arm
down at side. Starting with the R foot, take six walking steps oblique forward
right…………………………………………………………………………2M
(c)Repeat (b) moving backward to proper place…………………………….2M
(d)Repeat (b) moving oblique forward left………………………………………2M
(e)Repeat (c)
………………………………………………………………………….2M Boy and
Girl: Repeat (b) of Girl and boy in Saludo…………………………1M

4
 II

Music B
Partners face audience.
Girl:
(a)Starting with the R foot, take six habanera steps moving clockwise in place, hands
holding skirt, swaying hips right and left
alternately………..6M
(b)Step R foot oblique forward right and lean forward, L foot pointed on rear and
look inside the
paraka……………………………………………………….1M
(c)Transfer weight on L foot in rear, lean backward and look at partner…1M
(d)Take eight habanera steps moving around clockwise finishing behind the
boy…………………………………………………………………………………
8M

Boy:
(a)Take six habanera steps moving clockwise in place. R hand holding the
“tuwang-tuwangan” on the right shoulder, left hand down at side…….6M
(b)Repeat movement of the Girl in (b) but look forward……………………… 1M
(c)Repeat movement of the Girl in (c) and look back at partner…………...1M
(d)Take two habanera steps moving around clockwise with the following hand
movement. Raise “tuwang-tuwangan” with the right hand overhead (1M),
transfer “tuwang-tuwangan” to the left hand and place it on the left shoulder
bending knees slightly (1M)
……………………………..2M
(e)Repeat (d) with reverse hand
movement……………………………………..2M
(f) Repeat (d) and (e)putting “tuwang-tuwangan” down on the floor at the right side
on the last
measure…………………………………………………….4M
(g)Step right oblique forward right and lean forward point left foot in rear with knee
straight, holding the “paraka” with right hand, lefthand on
waist………………………………………………………………………………
……1M

5
 III

Music A
Boy: Execute the tuwang-tuwangan movement of the arms.
(a)Leap on the left across the “tuwang-tuwangan” facing right about (ct.1), step the
right foot back to place and face front (ct. 2), take more
four steps in place (cts. 3, 1, 2, 3) (left, right, left, right)
…………………………..2M
(b)Repeat (b) two times
more………………………………………………………4M
(c)Leap on the left across the “tuwang-tuwangan” (ct. 1) take four more steps in
place (right, left, right, left) (cts. 2, 3, 1, 2), pause (ct. 3). This
time the Boy is at the right side of “tuwang-
tuwangan”…………………………2M
(d)Repeat (a – c) leaping with the right foot across the tuwang-tuwangan. Take
three steps backward on the last three counts……………………… 8M
(e)Repeat (a) of Girl’s movement…………………………………………………8M
(f) Repeat (b) of Girl’s movement (6M). take tree steps forward to stay in line with
the Girl (1M), pick up tuwang-tuwangan and place it on the R
shoulder
(1M)……………………………………………………………………..8M
Girl:
(a)Point R foot obliquely forward right and slightly bend L knee. Clap hands on
counts 1,3 of every
measure………………………………………………8M
(b)Reverse position of feet, facing obliquely forward right. Repeat clapping in
(a)………………………………………………………………………………..8M
(c)Repeat movement of Boys from (a – d)……………………………………16M

6
 IV

Music C
Boy:
(a) Starting with right foot, take four walking steps forward (cts. 1, 2, 3, 1), pause
(ct. 2, 3) shout “Isda! Lab-as!
Isda!”…………………………………….2M
(b) Face right. Step E foot sideward right (ct. 1), slide L close to R (cts.2, 3)...1M
(c) Repeat (b) three times
more…………………………………………………….3M
(d) Execute a moderate waltz turn right to finish in original place……………
2M
(e) Repeat (a – d) starting with the L foot. Face left in (b)
……………………...8M
Girl:
(a) Starting with the R foot, execute six walking steps obliquely forward right, hands
holding
skirt………………………………………………………………….2M
(b) Step R foot sideward (ct.1), brush L foot forward (cts. 2, 3). Pause (1M)
…………………………………………………………………………………….
2M
(c) Take two sway balance steps with a hop sideward left and right
alternately…………………………………………………………………………
….4 M
(d) Repeat (a) and (b) in reverse direction starting with the left foot………...4M
(e) Repeat (c) starting with the R foot moving backward to finish behind the
boy…………………………………………………………………………………
4M

7
 V

Music C
Boy: Facing front, R hand holding tuwang-tuwangan, L hand gets buri hat.
(a)Get down in crossing-sitting
position…………………………………………….1M
(b)Lie on the back and straighten legs, put down hat on floor and on the left
side………………………………………………………………………………
……..1 M
(c)Raise both legs upward, sole facing up and put tuwang-tuwangan on top of both
feet…………………………………………………………………………………
…..1 M
(d)Place both hands down and sides……………………………………………… 1M
(e)Move legs and feet balancing and turning tuwang-tuwangan clockwise…
……………………………………………………………………………………
…….4M
(f) Transfer tuwang-tuwangan to R foot (2M), and bring legs to original position
(2M)
………………………………………………………………………….4M
(g)Repeat (e) turning tuwang-tuwangan counterclockwise……………….....4M
(h)Repeat (f) transferring tuwang-tuwangan to L foot………………………….4M
(i) Bend both knees so that thighs are touching belly…………………………..4M
(j) Straighten knees so that both legs are raised upward……………………… 4M
Girl: Stand at the left side of Boy facing him.
(a) Take two waltz steps sideward, R and L alternately, clapping hands on counts 2,
3 of every
measure……………………………………………………..2M
(b) Execute moderate waltz turn obliquely forward right, hands holding skirt. Finish
behind the
Boy……………………………………………………………….2M
(c) Repeat (a) and (b) three times more moving counterclockwise in a diamond
figure around the
Boy………………………………………………..12M
(d) Face front and execute four kuradang steps, R and L alternately. Hands holding
skirt…………………………………………………………………………...8M
(e) Repeat (d) facing
partner………………………………………………………...8M
(f) Repeat (b) of
Saludo……………………………………………………………….1M

8
 VI

Music B
Repeat figure
II……………………………………………………………………..16M
Put tuwang-tuwangan down on floor between Boy and Girl.

VII

Music C
Girls face audience, Boys face away from the audience.
(a)Starting with R foot, repeat Figure III (a – e), Boy doing tuwang- tuwangan
movement of the arms, Girl holding skirt……………………………………..8M
(b) Repeat (a)…………………………………………………………………………..8M
(c) Repeat Saludo…………………………………………………………………..…2M

9
References: Sayaw: Dances of the Philippine Islands, Vol 1-7 by the Philippines Folk Dance
Society. Page 80-85

10