Among the most visually stunning of all Philippine dances, the Singkil stands apart for its elegance, complexity, and deep literary roots. This royal dance of the Maranao people of Lanao del Sur is not merely performance — it is a living chapter of an ancient epic.
The Epic of Darangen
The Singkil is derived from the Darangen, a pre-Islamic Maranao epic poem composed of 72,000 lines across 17 epic cycles. The Darangen was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2005 — one of the Philippines' most prestigious cultural recognitions.
The specific episode enacted in Singkil tells the story of Princess Gandingan, who is caught in an earthquake in an enchanted forest. As the trees crash around her, forest spirits (represented by the crossing bamboo poles) try to prevent her from being crushed. A prince arrives to rescue her, and they navigate the falling trees together.
The Choreography
The crossing and clapping bamboo poles represent the trees of the enchanted forest falling during the earthquake. The dancer moves between the poles with extraordinary precision — never touching them — symbolizing the princess navigating the chaos with divine grace.
Traditionally, the female dancer wears a malong (tubular cloth), a patadyong (hip cloth), and carries a pair of fans. The male dancer (prince) carries a kampilan (sword) and wears royal Maranao attire. The kampilan symbolizes the prince's readiness to protect the princess.