La Jota Ivatan

The rare version of the Spanish jota that came from the northernmost frontier of the country: the Batanes group of islands. Settled by the gentle Ivatan people, the whole Batanes archipelago was totally Christianized by the 1700s. Spanish missionaries brought not only their religion but also their arts and ways of living. The most notable Spanish touch in Batanes’ culture could be witnessed in its dances. The Palo-palo and the Pandanggo Ivatan are favorites in the olden days among the people and so is the la jota ivatan. The La Jota Ivatan is among the rarely performed dance in the province because of the skill demanded from the dancers. The double turns, castanet drills and marked footworks are demanding and that old folks reserved the dance to the virtuosos. An interesting feature of the jota is the use of a chair as a prominent dancing prop. The male dancers have dance step routines while seated on the chair. There is also a point where the flirting dancers dance in a sort of a chase around the chair. The lovely music is another recognizable Spanish influenced melody where the characteristic lively and slow music are played. The castanets used are of the Spanish types which are round wooden castanets strung together and hung in the middle finger.

The dance has been an interesting find by the renowned dance researcher and anthropologist Ramon Obusan in one of his many forays into the study of our culture.