Music of the Philippines more mainstream after performers such as Atang de la Rama, Jovita Fuentes, Conching Rosal, Sylvia La Torre and Ruben Tagalog introduced them to a wider audience. The Tinikling is a dance from Leyte which involves two individual performers hitting bamboo poles, using them to beat, tap, and slide on the ground, in co-ordination with one or more dancers who steps over and in between poles. This is one of the more iconic Philippine dances, and is similar to other Southeast Asian bamboo dances. The Cariñosa (meaning "loving" or "affectionate one"), is the national dance, and is part of the María
National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica The National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica (NDTC) is Jamaica's leading dance theatre company. The company was founded in 1962 by Rex Nettleford and Eddy Thomas with fifteen dancers, with Nettleford acting as its artistic director and principal choreographer, and Martha Graham as patron. Drawing on African Caribbean folk traditions and cultural themes as well as modern dance, the company has promoted Caribbean culture through its performances. On its foundation, the stated aim was "projecting the movement patterns and customs of the island to people locally and abroad", and they stated that they would