Philippines Folk Dancing - I’ll Give It A Try!

Pea steps out of the studio and onto the dance floor to try traditional Filipino folk dances, including the famous tinikling (bamboo dance) and, surprisingly, a hula dance. She begins with a detailed explanation of the traditional Filipina dress she's wearing, then joins a local dance group to perform. The video is lighter in tone — a fun cultural showcase rather than a deep-dive explainer.

What's Covered ​

• The Filipina dress (also called Maria Clara)

  • Full name: traje de mestiza, originating from the Spanish period in the late 1800s
  • Originally worn only by the upper classes (the mestiza) to signify high status, virtue, and modesty
  • A fan called an abanico was carried to cover a woman's mouth when laughing or smiling — "it's an Asian thing"
  • The fan is also called pamepae and used to cool off in hot weather
  • Named after Maria Clara, the mestiza heroine from the novel Noli Me Tangere by Jose Rizal, the Philippines' greatest national hero who rebelled against the Spanish
  • Traditionally made from fibers of the abaca tree and pineapple leaves; more expensive versions are silk
  • Pea's dress is not silk
  • Made popular by Imelda Marcos, who Pea notes was "also a gang collector too" (likely meaning shoe collector, referencing her famous collection)
  • Modern versions are making a comeback — "don't be surprised if you see your favorite Filipina wearing one"
  • Still worn today, almost 200 years later, for special events and gatherings

• The tinikling dance

  • Named from the word "tikling," which is a bird
  • The dance mimics a bird maneuvering to escape bamboo traps set by farmers
  • Very popular during the Spanish era
  • Originated from Pampanga in the Luzon area
  • Pea performs with a local dance group called the "Mixture dance group," led by a dancer named Jason
  • The group was formed two years prior, consists of five members aged 16 to 22
  • They perform at fiestas — Pea notes it's very common in the Philippines for dance groups to perform at annual fiestas for entertainment
  • Pea warns viewers in advance: "although I might have many hidden talents, I'm not a dancer"

• Hula dance — the surprise element

  • Pea notes this isn't the typical Hawaiian costume, but since Filipinos are also Pacific Islanders, "we love to hula"
  • Filipino schools teach hula dance to children as part of exercise routines and school program presentations
  • They perform "our version" of hula dance
  • Presented as something viewers might not have expected was a thing in the Philippines

• The video is a lighter, performance-based vlog with Pea and Jen dancing together and having fun — she acknowledges she's not a skilled dancer and invites the comments section to roast her

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