The cariñosa dance has Spanish origins and is performed throughout the Philippines. Cariñosa literally means "she that is loving" (the verb ending indicates it refers to a woman). As such, it is a slow dance where a man and a woman dance together. Its style bears resemblance to a bolero or a waltz.
This flirtatious dance features a female dancer that appears to be shy and retiring, supposedly mimicking the character of a Philippine woman. A fan or handkerchief is used to mimic a game of hide and seek between the couple, as the woman hides behind the prop and the two seem to repeatedly pull back and then show affection for one another. Dancers take steps around the room; the male dancer has his hands behind his back or on his hips, while the female holds her skirt up by a few by a few inches with both hands. The dancers do not touch each other throughout their performance.
Originally, a Spanish costume was worn; however, more traditional Philippine costumes are now worn, such as a white shirt and colored trousers for men and native dress for women.
Music is very Spanish-influenced, with ¾ rhythms, and ensemble orchestras comprising banjos, mandolins, strings and drums are typical. Mostly men make up the orchestra; however, women commonly take part.
A few different versions of the dance exist, depending to the region. In Bicol, two handkerchiefs are used and both dancers point their feet forward as their hands go up at the same time. In Visayan, the couple go as far as combing each other's hair. The hide and seek movements are common to all the versions. One variation performed at weddings involved the man dancing around the woman until she consents to dance with him.
School textbooks and tourist websites often state that cariñosa is the national dance of the Philippines; however, the Philippine Information Agency maintains that it is tinikling, as the cariñosa is really a Western dance that derives from the Spanish colonialists.