Francisca Reyes-Aquino (March 9, 1899 – November 21, 1983) was a

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

folk dancer and academic noted for her research on Philippine folk dance. She is a recipient of the Republic Award of Merit and the Ramon Magsaysay Award and is a designated

National Artist of the Philippines The Order of National Artists of the Philippines (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Orden ng mga Pambansang Alagad ng Sining ng Pilipinas'') is an Order (distinction), order bestowed by the Philippines on Filipino people, Filipinos who have made s ...

for Dance.

Biography

Francisca was born in Bocaue, Bulacan on March 9, 1899. Reyes-Aquino studied Physical Education and graduated with a BS Education degree from the University of the Philippines and Sargent College in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. Among Reyes-Aquino's most noted works is her research on folk dances and

songs A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetition ...

as a student assistant at the

University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 20 ...

(UP). Pursuing her graduate studies, she started her work in the 1921 traveling to remote barrios in Central and

Northern Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...

. She published a thesis in 1926 entitled "Philippine Folk Dances and Games" where she noted on previously unrecorded forms of local celebration, ritual and sports. Reyes-Aquino discovered and taught dances through her books such as Tinikling, Maglalatik, Lubi-lubi, Polka sa Nayon. Her thesis was made with teachers and playground instructors from both public and private institutions in mind. This work was expanded with the official support of UP President Jorge Bocobo in 1927. She then served at the university as part of the faculty for 18 years. She served as supervisor of physical education at the Bureau of Education in the 1940s. The education body distributed her work and adapted the teaching of folk dancing in an effort to promote awareness among the Filipino youth regarding their cultural heritage.

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Ramon Magsaysay Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay Sr. (August 31, 1907 – March 17, 1957) was a Filipino statesman who served as the seventh president of the Philippines, from December 30, 1953, until his death in an aircraft disaster on March 17, 1957. An automo ...

conferred her the Republic Award of Merit in 1954 for her “outstanding contribution toward the advancement of Filipino culture”. Her contributions to physical education also introduced the subject to the American school curriculum. Reyes-Aquino also had other books published including ''Philippine National Dances'' (1946), ''Gymnastics for Girls'' (1947), ''Fundamental Dance Steps and Music'' (1948), ''Foreign Folk Dances'' (1949), ''Dances for all Occasion'' (1950), ''Playground Demonstration'' (1951), and ''Philippine Folk Dances'', Volumes I to VI.

Legacy and honors

Francisca died on November 21, 1983 in Manila, Philippines. Reyes-Aquino received recognition for her works such as the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service in 1962 and her designation as

for Dance in 1973. Francisca was posthumously honored with a

Google Doodle A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running an ...

designed of her popular traditional Filipino dance and it was unveiled on March 9, 2019, to celebrate her 120th birth anniversary and for her very excellent contributions in Filipino dancing.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reyes-Aquino, Francisca 1899 births 1983 deaths Filipino female dancers University of the Philippines Diliman faculty Filipino women academics National Artists of the Philippines Ramon Magsaysay Award winners Folk dancers