what is cariñosa

Cariñosa 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 a romance scenario. The name of the dance means "loving one" in Spanish. The dance originated in Panay Island and was introduced by the Spaniards during their colonization of the Philippines. The dance is a courtship dance that portrays acts of flirtation between a man and a woman, and the dancers perform steps resembling hide-and-seek movements. The female performer usually holds a fan or a handkerchief during a performance. The cariñosa is considered to be an official national dance of the Philippines, as no law has designated them as such. The attire for the dance includes the Maria Clara gown/dress for women and the Barong Tagalog, a traditional embroidered long-sleeve shirt, for men. Other attire such as patadyong kimona (a dress belonging to the Visayan community), camisa de chino (a white sleeve), and colored pants can also be a part of the dance costume. The music of the dance is 3/4 in rhythm like some of the Spanish dances, and the Philippine Rondalla are playing this music of the dance where it is an ensemble or an orchestra of string instruments in the Philippines.