Splinters in Our Ankles is a movement essay that explores the colonial origins of one of the most popular folk dances of the Philippines, the Tinikling. Sometimes called the Philippine national dance, the Tinikling takes its name from a native bird, the tikling, known for its grace and agility in, among other things, dodging bamboo traps set by rice farmers. The dance is performed with two or more individuals rhythmically beating bamboo poles while others step over, through and around the moving poles to avoid being hit. "The dancers are said to imitate the movement of the tikling evading their captors," explains Artistic Director Gerald Casel.
"The Tinikling is taught to children in schools around the world. It's performed in theaters and at weddings. It's presented as a joyous, festive dance," says Casel. "But during my research I discovered that it was created during the time of slavery in the 16th century, and the Spanish colonizers used it as a punishment."
"The Spanish soldiers forced the indigenous farmers to stand between two bamboo poles, striking their ankles," he adds. The title Splinters in Our Ankles refers to the violence perpetrated against Filipinos by the Spanish colonists.
Splinters does not itself reproduce the steps of the Tinikling. The work is a contemporary response to what Casel calls "collective cultural amnesia," calling attention to the enduring legacy of imperialism. "On the one hand, the Tinikling conceals an act of state-sponsored violence, but on the other it can be seen to represent a kind of 'performed resistance' to power inasmuch as the dancers, the slaves, perfect a way to elude the instrument of torture. It's a fascinating point of entry into the construction of traditional Filipino identity."
Splinters includes an original score performed live by composer Tim Russell. An ensemble of eight dancers includes A. Anderson, K. Bell, C. Briggs-Winslow, R. Chaleff, J. Collard, P. Kao, K. Lopez and P. Murphy.
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