One of the national dances we should be proud of is the Cariñosa. This is a courtship dance known through out the philippines with its flirtatious movements. The word “carinosa” means affectionate, amiable, or lovable. Ther are many versions of this dance, but hide and seek movements using a fan and a handkerchief are the most common.

Cariñosa (meaning the loving or affectionate one) is a Philippine dance of Hispanic origin from the Maria Clara suite of Philippine folk dances, where the fan or handkerchief plays an instrumental role as it places the couple in romance scenario.

The dance was originated in the Panay Islands on the Visayan Islands and it was introduced by the Spaniards during their colonization of the Philippines. It is related to some of the Spanish dances like the bolero and the Mexican dance Jarabe Tapatio or the Mexican Hat Dance.