Meranao Dance SINGKIL (Sining Pananadem)

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In Maranao culture they have different dances, they have a Fun dance, Sadoratan and the most awaken the Singkil. Formerly only women, particular royalty, danced the Singkil, which serves as either a conscious or unconscious advertisement to potential suitors. It takes the name from the massive rings worn on the ankles of the princess. The instruments of Merano calls a kulintang, Agung and D'bakan ensemble always accompanies the dance.

The female lead dancer plays the role of Princess of the Darangen epic, wearing the massive rings around her ankles to keep time while she dances. In an episode of the Darangen epic, the princess caught in the middle of the forest during an earthquake caused by the Tonong  (or the guardian spirits) of the Kingdom of Bumbaran. The Tonong abducted the princess and entrapped her in a forest to teach the philandering Prince Bantugan a lesson. The falling trees during the earthquake (which the princess gracefully avoids) are represented by the bamboo poles arranged in a crisscrossed fashion and clacked together in a unique, syncopated rhythm.  During the performance, the female lead dancer graciously steps in and out of the bamboo poles as she manipulates two elaborately designed fans called apir.

Gymnasium Marawi City

Singkil is a meranao royal dance performs by a royal princess and her maiden showing her skills in dancing and rhythmically in and out of clicking bamboos. The princess is ushered by a male relative holding the royal umbrella. The princess usually initiated the dance with sadoratan a dramatized graceful of royal princess means to attract  attention and bayok sa apir, a song that addressed to a princess which "stand with honor and dignity."

The original version of Singkil required only women to hold the bamboo, but this new generation allowed the men to click the bamboo for the strength of the bamboo and constant of its speed. The dance steps require graceful movement so that the moving bamboos won't crush the dancer's feet.