Rigodon Meaning: Answers To The Question “What Is A Rigodon?”
RIGODON MEANING – In this article, we are going to learn about the Rigodon, its history, and its importance.
The Rigodon is derived from the Spanish word “Rigaudon”. It is also sometimes called the Rigadoon.
However, it is also a French baroque dance paired with a lively duple meter. According to an article from NCCA, the Rigodon is one of the most celebrated dances of the Philippines.
It was mostly popularized during the Spanish occupation of the Philippines along with other dances such as the Polish mazurka and the Czech polka.
Based on a paper written by Jamila Pe Trinidad of Academia.edu, the Rigodon is one of the most important quadrille dances during the Spanish period.
It is performed with orchestral music with a lively rhythm. During its time, it was the most popular quadrille dance in the country.
It was usually performed at state functions with people from the high government and high social status participating
In the square formation, distinguished or important personages are the cabeceras or head pairs, and the less important ones, the costados or side pairs.
Although there are many versions of it, the dance is always in quadrille formation. The cabeceras always perform the dance steps first, followed by the costados.
After the saludo or anuncio, the dance starts with the figure of ladies meeting, followed by the zeta, casamiento or abanico, visita, cadenilla, cambio pareja, and finally the cadena. In all the figures the dancers walk in a stately manner following the rhythm of the music.
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