Cariñosa is a Philippine dance of colonial-era 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 a romance scenario. It is a courtship dance that portrays acts of flirtation between a man and a woman, with the dancers performing steps resembling hide-and-seek movements. The dance originated in Panay Island and 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. The cariñosa is considered to be an official national dance of the Philippines, as no law has designated them as such. The costumes used in the cariñosa dance include the Maria Clara gown/dress and the Barong Tagalog, a traditional embroidered long-sleeve shirt. Other attire such as patadyong kimona (a dress belonging to the Visayan community), camisa de chino (a white sleeve), and colored pants can also be a part of the dance costume. The music of the cariñosa is 3/4 in rhythm like some of the Spanish dances, and the Philippine Rondalla are playing this music of the dance where it is an ensemble of string instruments.