Kuratsa (Folk Dance)
Mary Grace C. Carolino
BEEd 2 Class 2

KURATSA
– The Kuratsa is a Filipino traditional Dance of Courtship where the male approaches and courts a
lady in a form of a dance. It depicts the courtship between the rooster and the hen.
– The Kuratsa is highly favored by the Visayan people especially the Waray people of the Eastern
Visayas region in the Philippines and highlights every important occasion in the Eastern Visayas
communities.
– It is a dance for weddings and fiestas, the Kuratsa serves as the traditional money dance where
guests take turns pinning money on the bride and groom's attire. This symbolizes friends' and families'
wishes for good luck and prosperity in the couple's future.

KURATSA
The dance is performed in three parts, with three different rhythms.
1. The dancing couple starts the performance with a ballroom waltz.
2. Then the music shifts to a faster beat for the "chasing" scene, in which the female dancer flees
and the male pursues her all across the dance floor.
3. The tempo picks up even more for the final part, in which the chase ends with a furiously
flirtatious scene.
The female is won over, and the male imitates a flamboyant bird in a mating dance.

HISTORY OF KURATSA
The Kuratsa is believed to be a Mexican import. Kuratsa (pronounced koo-rah-cha) is a dance
inspired by the Mexican La Cucaracha folk dance. The dance also features Flamenco-like
movements, reflecting the fact that the Philippines were under Spanish rule from 1565 to 1868.
Popular versions of this dance exist in Samar can be classified as the Kuratsa Menor (the usual
favorite) and the many versions of the daring Kuratsa Mayor. New genres of Kuratsa evolved as a
result of necessity, like-as the name implies- Kuratsa kanan Kadam-an and a very funny Kuratsa nga
Pinayungan appropriate for rainy days.

MUSIC PLAYED IN KURATSA
Before music recording was invented, kuratsa music was played by a
rondalla or a live brass band. Traditional musicians have a vast
repertoire of kuratsa music-the menor or mayor (minor or major scale) in
several variations of the playful running melodies.
Kuratsa music now has been popularized in the form of the compact
disc.

COSTUME (KURATSA)
Female Costume
– patadyong with camisa or kimona, with a soft panuelo; white or
anycolored trousers
Male Costume
– barong tagalog or camisa de chino

STEPS IN KURATSA
The four basic parts/steps
1. walking toward each other with a waving motion of the hand;
2. a sideways swaying motion ending with a kick;
3. a faster, more flirtatious step-together section;
4. and finally, the courtship phase with more hip action and shimmying.