--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SAOT SA PISI
Meaning: Dancing with the ropes Place of Origin: Cuartero, Capiz Classification: Ritual (religious in nature); Social; Rural Performers: Girls and Boys; Girls only; Senior Citizens Researcher: Marlou Anthony T. Candel Contributor: Jesse H. Tibor Validated and Edited by: Beniel Frank (WVSU-CoPESCAR) Musical Score: (***under arrangement) Propagators: Cuartero National High School MAPEH teachers and students Ms. Rose Hallegado Cuartero Senior Citizens Female Sayaw Dancers BACKGROUND Saot sa Pisi's history started during the reign of the monarch in Europe. To fully understand its origin, the following text is a help. Danza de las Cintas or Baile de los Listones is a collective dance that is religious in nature. The dance has many version among the Latin Countries formerly under the reign of Spain, in some countries of Europe and in some parts of the Philippines. Dancers used colored ribbons hanging from a pole. They weave these ribbons using different weaving techniques creating a beautiful and colorful finish. It originated in Bavaria in the late 14th century and is part of the annual festival of farmers. It also found its audience in the courts of the Kings and Queens and of the princesses as a form of entertainment during royal gatherings. In the advent of the 15th century, the dance found its way to the Low Countries including England and eventually Spain during the reign of King Carlos V. The dance is performed during the Vaquaria Festival iniated by the Vaqueros (from Vaqa-meaning "cow") or cowboys; it is a festival which is used to be held on the cattle ranches to honor Vaqueros of the region. The dance starts with the search and preparation of a tree trunk, Ceiba if possible, or pole suitable for the Maypole, of 5 to 6 meters in height. It is placed in the desired location and ribbons are tied to the top of the pole.

The dance was introduced to the colonies in the New World by Spain during the colonization period. It first arrived in Yucatan, Mexico and then spread to the neighboring nation-colonies. Moreover, in Spain and in Mexico, the dance is known to as Baile de los Liztones or Danza de las Cintas. It is also dance together with Jota Aragoneza, a dance from the Kingdom of Aragon, which uses Spanish castanets or with Aragoneza Y Despedida- a dance notable for the exagerrated bending of the girl's back while dancing to the tune of waltz as she moves around her male partner. Ten or more dancers, alternating men and women, dance toward the pole, and then each hold on the end of a ribbon, forming a circle around the pole's base. In Yucatan, a Jarana is played in 3/4 time signature, and the dancers weave around the pole and around each other in a complex series of steps which seem totally random but which are not. The end result is a beautifully woven braid around the pole, from top to bottom. The dancers braid the ropes or ribbons and undo the same using the following choreographies: 1. Contraganza 2. Coconut 3. Basket 4. Whirlwind 5. The Cimbar 6. Coco of Two NOTE: There are other choreographies used in braiding the ribbons but only a few survived. In Argentina, it uses the music of the "Misa Criolla" to twist and untwist the ribbons. In Spain, it uses the Villancicos (Spanish Carols) or the adopted Yucatan music in 3/4 and 2/4 time signature. The dance was brought to the Philippines by the Spanish Conquistadores through the Manila-Acapulco route of the famous Spanish Galleon. It was part of the end-result of the colonization and Christianization of the island. To-bevalidated reports showed that in Luzon, particularly in Pampanga and Zambales, a version of the dance is found and is known as Listonesan. Another version of the dance is found in Cuartero, Capiz and is currently known as Sayaw sa Pisi or Sayaw Para Kay San Antonio de Padua (the name was adapted after which the dancers uses ropes instead of ribbons). The dance is an itegral and important part of the Ritual for the farmers and for St. Anthony of Padua. The Ritual is also known as Sayaw.

What follows is a simplified version of the dance Baile de los Listones. The Cuartero version uses Visayan touch and music to simplify the complicated steps of the original version. In this personally iniated research-project entitled: PANUBLIUNCompilation of Capiz Dances, the researcher uses the name Saot sa Pisi instead of Sayaw sa Pisi or Sayaw Para kay San Antonio because he felt that there is an urgency to relate the dance to its original version to bring out authenticity even in its name. From the lenghty, twenty figures, the dance figures was reduced to ten to make it more appealing and to avoid redundancy. One figure is missing in the dance, as related to by a respondent and is known as the Bolero. Digging through the bulk of Spanish dances, Bolero is a dance using spanish castanets in duple time and is using the music which bears the same name. In the past, the dance is performed by both male and female dancers. Nowadays, only female dancers perform the dance. The following recorded version, however, with the intention of retaining the authenticity of the dance, the researcher included the steps performed by the male dancers. Sayaw was performed together with the Aragoneza Y Despedida, which the locals corrupted to Argonisa (see Argonisa) but the latter didn't find its way to survival as it rested in the hearts of the unknown decades ago, however, some of the steps were incorporated in the Sayaw ritual. Locals reported that during the time of their forefathers, when procurement of musical instrument was still a luxury, they used improvised materials to accompany the dance. They used tin cans, sticks, and empty bottles but they also use Balitaw and Rondalla. Following the performance of the Sayaw dancers is the Pandesillo de San Antonio- this time the dancers offer traditional foods to the audience while dancing but one must dance first before he or she gets a food (see also the dance Pandesillo de San Antonio). In the past, some say that the ritual is culminated with the dancing of the dance Karansa. ( It is a dance of the farmers which means frolicking or to frolick and is originally from Carataya and Putian. Karansa starts when a tipsy farmer, who drunk Tuba, a local wine, stands in front and acknowledge the music played by the Balitaw, Balcena: 2009) Karansa was usually done during the Patakasan. After Karansa, performance of the dance Fondabella was also reported. (The steps and music used in the dance are similar to that of Malaguena Torera of Spain. It is beleived that Fondabella originated in Cuartero. One of the the town's former names was Fonda which means "the Founder". ) However, the role of the two aforementioned dances in the ritual is

not substantiated. It was possible that they were also performed at a time when the Sayaw Ritual was also performed but no indications, so ever, could validate the claim that indeed they are also part of the ritual. Originally, Cuartero's Sayaw is performed by 12 pairs or 24 dancers. The following arrangement was made so it could also be performed by lesser number of people, preferrably by eight dancers or four pairs and also to make it more simple, appealling and enjoyable. Today, the Sayaw is performed in honor of St. Anthony of Padua, Cuartero's Patron saint or for the honored guest visiting the town. RESEARCH METHOD The researcher personally conducted the research from May 2010 to June 2011. He used the Qualitative approach employing the Contructivism method of research wherein he reconstructed the facts according to the realities prescribed by the respondents He first recorded the Sayaw dance and ritual through a video-tape recording instrument during one of the dance rehearsals of Cuartero National High School Sayaw Dancers in May 2010 and during their performance on Cuartero's Religious and Town fiesta, collectively known as Agdahanay Festival, in June of the same year. He then analyzed the data and recorded the steps used by the dancers. Same method was again employed in May and June of the following year. He also used the Constant Comparison Method (CCM), Narrative Analysis, In-depth Interview and Coding methods. To provide the Historical background of the dance he used the Data Analysis, Analysis of the Narrative, In-depth Interview and Coding methods. Furthermore, to asses the validity of the result, he seek the aid of a folk dance enthusiast and the trainer and choreographer of the Champion group in the 2012 WVRAA 2012 Folk Dance Competition -High School Level. PROPERTIES Costume: Male: 1. Barong Tagalog and colored Trouser 2. camisa de chino and colored 3. Traditonal

Trouser Farming costume

Accesories: Buri hat and Tsinelas for footwear Female: 1. Peasant Maria Clara (for Social gatherings only) Top: Bell-sleeved shirt with

camison, and panuelo draped over the shoulder with edges pinned together in front of the chest Skirt: Full-Baloon skirt with Tapis and Inagua 2. Baro't Saya Top: Bell-sleeved shirt with camison, and panuelo folded into a rectangular shape draped over the left shoulder Skirt: Full-Baloon skirt with Tapis and Inagua 3. Chambra with Panuelo over the left shoulder and Saya with Tapis with voluminous underskirt 4. Butterflysleeved shirt with Panuelo and Patadyong in monochromatic color, a combination of red, orange, green and yellow (kneelenght or ankle-lenght , full balloon, with or without tapis and with voluminous underskirt). Accesories: Tsinelas for footwear (if dancers may

wearing a Maria Clara costume, wear cocho) minimal earrings Music:

Music is composed of (***to follow, under arrangement)

Count: one, and, two, or one, and, two, and to a measure in 2/4 time signature; one, two, three, four to a measure in 4/4 time signature; and one, two, three to a measure in 3/4 time signature Props: 6 meters in height Bamboo pole placed at the center of the stage with colorful ropes hanging from the top, preferrably 7-8 meters long. One rope each dancer. Formation: Partners stands oppossitte each other. Girl stands at the partner's right side. In this dance arrangement, two sets of four pairs may perform the dance. Each set is composed of two pairs. dancers are arranged in a suqare formation (see Diagram A below). Note: This can be perform by an all-girl group. A set of dancers could also be added if more dencers would love to participate.

AUDIENCE X Set 1 O X (pole) O Set 2

O Diagram A