Abaruray

Abaruray is known in the Philippines as Hapayan, Baruray, Tagayan, Pandanggo sa Baso and Abaroray. This is a wine offering that signals the beginning of folk dancing and singing. The woman dances with a glass of wine on her head from which she entices a man of her choice to drink the wine in it. Playful men would usually pretend to dislike the offer by inventing reasons they could think of. Sensing that the woman is near offended, the men would usually yield to drinking the wine. It is customary that the wine must be drank by whoever is offered with because good manners dictate so.

The dance is believed to have been derived from "Aba! Ruray?!", probably an exclamation to a dancer who was very skillful with balancing the glass on her head despite very difficult dance steps. Ruray is a pet name for the feminine name Aurora. Though obvious that the name was derived from a sort of a 'spectacular' or daring dance piece, there are however, equally beautiful versions of the Abaruray less the wine-glass balancing act. The most popular among which is the Abaruray de Catanauan from Catanauan, Quezon Province. The version is popular among Southern Tagalog festivities like baptisms, town or barrio fiestas and similar festive occassions. The dance is unique with a remarkable flexed-elbow-flap called binanog believed to have been introduced by the Bicolanos.

The original Abaruray dance is supposed to have originated in Marinduque where many versions of the Abaruray are found. One very beautiful version of this dance is the Baruray from Barrio Matuyatuya, Torrijos, Marinduque. There is also a version found in Samar where it is called Abalulay, the Samar Abaruray is included in the "Curacha Samareña". The slow part of the Curacha is actually the Abalulay part. Other 'glass balancing dances' are abound in Samar probably because of the numerous managguete who made tuba wine-making the chief livelihood. Popular among these are the Tagay-tagayan (meaning 'to leisurely pour wine in a drinking spree') and the An Lubi (The coconut). The later is a daring spectacular dance where the male dancers are challenged with catching a wine glass or a bamboo tumbler tossed in the air by the female dancers. There is so much fun teasing those who missed the 'flying' glasses. The "flying glasses" part of the An Lubi is believd to have originated from drunk dancers who by the loss of sobriety where unreasonably daring.

Another dance from his family. The Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group in "Unpublished dances of the Philippines III" launched it in 1995. Abaruray is short for Aba, Aurora! The man sings to Aurora, his partner, promising her fancy dresses and jewelry if only she stops cursing him.