Students in one sixth grade PE class have been focusing on refining their Tinikling routine for the Specialty Social Studies night. “Tinikling is considered a national dance in the Philippines. . .Tinikling is said to be named after the long-legged bird called the Tikling in the Philippines. . . Someone who dances the Tinikling imitates the movements of a Tikling bird (hence, Tikling-like) as the bird walks over the grass or dodges bamboo traps set by . . . rice farmers on the Visayan Islands . . . to protect their fields, yet Tinikling birds dodged their traps. Locals imitated the birds’ movement . . . [and the] practice of jumping between the poles eventually transformed from a challenge into an artistic dance. . . To dance the Tinikling, you need two pairs of bamboo poles [Students at Sunset View use PVC pipes] that are each 6–12 feet long (about 1.8–3.7 meters). ” Students at Sunset View are using traditional music as their background, though it can also be done to more modern/popular songs.

Enjoy this preview of what they have been creating. We look forward to showing the full routine soon!

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