The kadal blilah or bird dance, represents the blilah (also called blelah), a mythical bird which, according to Tboli tradition, has the colors of all other birds. Here the female dancers make continuous hopping steps to the sound of gongs and drums, leaning to the left and to the right as they insert their hands into the ends of the malong hanging around their necks, and make undulating movements, simulating the wings of a bird in flight.
Kadal Blilah literally means “Blilah Dance”. Blilah is a bird specie that has inspired the Tiboli people in this dance. The flight of the Blilah birds is depicted in this dance. The gitlong (also called malong) slung around the neck is used to signify wings. Opened gitlong thus, means flight.
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