Cariñosa

Cariñosa (Spanish pronunciation: [kaɾiˈɲosa], meaning the loving or affectionate one) is a Philippine dance of Hispanic origin from the Maria Clara suite of Philippine folk dances, where the fan or handkerchief plays an instrumental role as it places the couple in romance scenario.The dance was originated in the Panay Islands on the Visayan Islands and it was introduced by the Spaniards during their colonization of the Philippines. It is related to some of the Spanish dances like the bolero and the Mexican dance Jarabe Tapatio or the Mexican Hat Dance that resembles the courtship through the interpretation of the dancers in the process of dancing. The dance before was a Maria Clara dance but because of its popularity it has so many versions around the Philippines. During the Marcos regime, it was nominated as the next national dance in the country, but according to Philippine Information Agency which is the official information arm of the Philippine Government (pia.gov.ph), the tinikling is still the national dance but through textbooks in elementary in the Philippines, this dance is noted as a national dance of the country. It is also a national dance for it resembles the shy and modesty of a Filipina.

thanks to : http://en.wikipedia.org