(Clear Audio) Kabilaw Folk Dance | Aklan Cultural Contest 2026 (Season 4) #kabilaw

Kabilaw Folk Dance performed by Bayangan Dance Troupe of the Municipality of Lezo during the Aklan Cultural Contest 2026 (Season 4) About Kabilaw Folk Dance: Meaning: "Bat" (referring to the small bats inhabiting the area) Place of Origin: Barangay Cabilauan, New Lucena, Iloilo Ethnolinguistic Group: Ilonggo / Hiligaynon Classification: Mimetic / Festival Folk Dance Dance Researcher: Joven H. Gabor Music: Composed by Ramon S. Velasco Cultural Background & Context Kabilaw is a mimetic festival folk dance from Barangay Cabilauan in New Lucena, Iloilo. The name of the barangay and the dance itself originates from kabilaw, the local term for bats that inhabit the local trees and caves in the area. Observing the swooping, fluttering, and resting habits of these creatures, the villagers developed rhythmic movements imitating them. Over time, these local mimetic movements were codified into a formal folk dance, which serves as the central cultural motif of New Lucena's annual Kabilaw Festival. Dance Properties • Music: Set to a 2/4 time signature, divided into three distinct musical parts (Parts A, B, and C). • Count: One, two; or One, and, two; per measure. • Formation: Dancers stand opposite each other in parallel lines or set formations. Can be performed by couples or all-female groups. • Costume: o Female: Bell-sleeved Baro’t Saya or blouse in earth tones (off-white, cream) paired with a dark brown or black skirt with a tail (cola), a checkered tapis, and a soft alampay. Danced barefoot. o Male: Long-sleeved Camisa de Chino with a neckerchief, paired with dark brown or black trousers. A pulos (cloth head covering) is worn around the head. Danced barefoot. Signature Dance Steps & Movements • Kapay-Kapay Step: The core "fluttering/wing" motion. Dancers bend their torso slightly forward and flip one arm in front and the other arm behind, rhythmically alternating to simulate bat wings flapping. • Katin-Katin Step: A low side-stepping movement. Dancers bend both knees with heels raised, leaning the trunk sideward as they step-close across the floor. • Dapun-Dapun Step: Forward leaps and step-closes accompanied by raising and lowering both arms with inward wrist flexes on count 1, representing bats gliding and swooping together. • Kahig-Kahig Step: A scratching foot motion executed twice with the right foot, then the left, followed by bending forward and stepping to mimic roosting behaviors.