During the Spanish regime, the Jota dances were among the most popular dances in the Philippines. It is a gay lively dance. Undoubtedly, all the Jota dances of the Philippines are adaptations from Spanish Jotas as performed by the early Spanish settlers in the Philippines.
In the 1700s, the Spanish brought the flamenco-inspired dance known as La Jota Cagayana to the Cagayan people. The little, rustic village of Enrile is home to one of the many variations that still exist today. European dance moves like the mazurka, polka, and waltz have a strong influence on the symbolic courtship dance that a couple performs. Because of the quick speed, the two travel virtually at a gallop. The 18th-century painter Damian Domingo served as the inspiration for the costumes, which feature women wearing untucked skirts and blouses with sleeves made of leg-of-mutton. In turn, the males are dressed in matching top hats and dress tails.
This is accomplished by stomping or stepping heavily on each waltz step measure's feet. Women dress in camisas and maskotas with Maria Clara dresses or stiff pañuelos. Men dress in dark or black pants and a barong tagalog.
The town of Enrile in Cagayan is the origin of the dance that is explained below.
COSTUME. Girl wears maskota skirt, and camisa with stiff pañuelo or Maria Clara costume. Boy wears Barong Tagalog and black or dark colored trousers.
MUSIC is divided into nine parts: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and I.
COUNT one, two, three to a measure.
FORMATION. Partners stand about eight feet apart. Girl stands at partner's right when facing audience. One or more pairs may participate.
NOTE: The Accented Waltz used in this dance is done with stamping or stepping heavily on ct. (count) 1 of every measure (of every waltz step).
INTRODUCTION
Music Introduction and A
Partners turn R (Right) shoulders toward each other.
(a) Execute a three-step turn right to meet at center, finish facing each other. Arms down at sides (cts. 1, 2, 3). ________________________________________________ 2 M
(b) Boy starts with L (Left) and Girl starts with R foot. Take sixteen accented
waltz steps going to any direction. Finish at starting place. (If many pairs are dancing, a definite direction should be taken). ____________________________________ 16 M
(c) Release hold. Take three-step turn to proper places (right turn for Girl, and left turn for Boy). __________________________________________________________ 2 M
I
Music A
Partners face each other. Partners tilt head and look at each other throughout this figure.
(a) Starting with R foot, take four big, accented waltz steps forward following a semicircular line (like a half-moon). See diagram A below. Bend trunk slightly to the left side. R arm in reverse "T" position. L arm bent forward at chest level, both hands kumintang (ct. 1). Raise elbows gracefully upward (ct. 2), and downward (ct. 3) of every measure. ---________________________________________________________________ 4 M
(b) Turn left about and repeat (a) going to proper places by retracing steps. Reverse position of arms. ________________________________________________________________ 4 M
(c) Turn left about. Repeat (a) and (b). ______________________________ 8 M
II
Music B
Partners face each other.
(a) Starting with R foot, take two big waltz steps forward to meet at center. Arms in lateral position, moving sideward right and left at shoulder level. Hands kumintang (ct. 1), elbows slightly moving upward (ct. 2) and downward (ct. 3) of every measure. _________________________________________________________________ 2 M
(b) Girl turns right about. With Girl leading and starting with the R foot, take six big waltz steps forward moving around clockwise. Arms position and movements as in (a) _________________________________________________________________ 6 M
(c) Turn right about. Repeat (b), moving counterclockwise, Boy leading 6 M
(d) Repeat (a) moving forward to proper places. Finish facing partner, turning right about _________________________________________________________________ 3 M
III
Music C
Partners face each other.
Repeat Figure I (a) four times following directions in Diagram B on page 14. Girl follows arrows 1, 2, 3, 4 while Boy follows arrows 3, 4, 1, 2. Finish in proper places. Partners always face each other throughout this figure. R arm is always in reverse "T" position. L arm bent forward at chest level with same movements. 16 M
IV
Music D
Partners turn R shoulders toward each other.
(a) Execute a three-step-turn obliquely forward right. Arms down at sides (cts. 1, 2, 3). Stamp L foot close to R, R arm in reverse "T" position. L arm bent forward at chest level (ct. 1), hop on R foot (ct. 2), raise L foot off the floor after stamping, pause in this position (ct. 3). Partners are in back-to-back position after the turn. ____________________________________________________________________ 2 M
(b) Repeat (a) going to proper places, starting with L foot. Reverse turn and position of arms ____________________________________________________________________ 2 M
(c) Repeat (a) and (b), three more times ________________________________ 13 M
(d) Execute a three-step turn right in place. Arms down at sides ______________ 2 M
V
Music E
Repeat Figure III ____________________________________________________ 16 M
VI
Music F
Repeat Figure IV _____________________________________________________ 18 M
VII
Music G
Partners face each other
(a) Girl starting with R foot and L for Boy, take two big waltz steps forward to meet at center. Arms in reverse "T" position, moving sideward right and left 2 M
(b) With Boy leading and moving backward and Girl moving forward, take six big waltz steps going around clockwise. Girl starting with R foot and Boy, with L foot. Arms in reverse "T" position with arms of Boy spread out wider to enclose arms of Girl as they move their arms sideward right and left alternately from Girl's side 6 M
(c) Repeat (b) moving counterclockwise, Girl moving backward and Boy moving forward. ____________________________________________________________________ 6 M
(d) Repeat (a) moving backward to proper places _______________________ 2 M
VIII
Music H
Repeat Figure I _______________________________________________________ 16 M
IX
Music I
(a) Repeat Introduction (a) and (b) ___________________________________ 18 M
(b) Join R hands, free hands down at sides. Girl makes a three-step turn right in place passing under arch of arms (cts. 1, 2, 3), close L to R foot and pause (cts. 1, 2, 3) ____________________________________________________________________ 2 M
(c) Bow to partner, R hands still joined ______________________________ 1 M
(d) Release R hands, face front and join hands, free hands in second position. Bow to audience. ____________________________________________________________ 1 M
La Jota Cagayana Music
