Culture of the Philippines carvings on housings called torogan. Weapons made by Muslim Filipinos such as the "kampilan" are skillfully carved. Philippine folk dances include the Tinikling and Cariñosa. In the southern region of Mindanao, Singkil is a popular dance showcasing the story of a prince and princess in the forest. Bamboo poles are arranged in a tic-tac-toe pattern in which the dancers exploit every position of these clashing poles. The early music of the Philippines featured a mixture of Indigenous, Islamic and a variety of Asian sounds that flourished before the European and American colonization in the 16th and 20th centuries. Spanish settlers
The School of Dance career college and a seminary of learning. The Contemporary Dance Programme is approved as a vocational program under the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005. Hodgins directs The School of Dance with an operating budget of over $1 million and a growing staff of 3 full-time and 87 contract teachers, musicians, choreographers and artists. From the mid-1980s to 1999, The School of Dance rented a three-studio facility on Catherine Street. In 1996, The School of Dance added professional modern dance training and teacher training. In 1998, The School of Dance began its co-operative relationship with the National Arts Centre, producing choreography