Dance of the Warrior
Cokorda Rai as the Condong in Legong Keraton.
Preface
The performing arts of Bali are rich, vast and complex. Virtually every form of music, dance, drama and shadow puppet play has its origin as a function for a ritual, if not a ritual in itself. Even the more contemporary art forms have strong links to the past. Balinese dance and theater are spectacular—from lavish costumes to rhythmic darting eye movements to incredible improvisation of the performers. Balinese gamelan music is electrifying and soothing at the same time. Balinese shadow puppetry is shrouded in mystery and echoes ancestral voices. The pursuit of artistic knowledge begins at a very early age in Bali and is supported by the entire community. Basic cultural values are passed on via the arts and reflected in the stories told and the movements executed.
This book is meant to be a guide to the three main types of performing arts in Bali: traditional dance and drama, gamelan (an ensemble of from two to fifty instruments) and shadow puppetry. We want the visitor to be able to recognize a particular art form and understand it better, albeit briefly. This is not meant to be a comprehensive guide to Balinese performing arts, but rather one that will lead the reader to appreciate the more common forms that will be seen while in Bali. Illustrations of many of the genres will assist in the visualization of the forms. Selected reading and discography lists are at the end of the book.
We begin by contextualizing the forms as to their function and how they are learned. Then we focus on each specific form, beginning with gamelan music, then shadow puppetry, and finally dance and theater forms. Gamelan and dance/theater are, in fact, not separated in the field, but we have separated them for the purposes of this book. The performing arts in Bali developed at a phenomenal rate during the twentieth century. This book focuses on the history and development of traditional performing arts and how these have influenced contemporary gamelan music, dance, theater and puppetry.
We hope this book will enhance your enjoyment of the performing arts of Bali. Take it along with you to local performances.
Selamat menonton!
Enjoy the show!
Taruna Jaya dancer in three poses at Puri Saren, Ubud
The Performing Arts in Bali
Dance, drama and music are much more than mere performances. They are spectacles of color and sound, but their main purpose is to please the deities and ancestral spirits. Art, if not a ritual in itself, is a part of the ritual. The arts express the values that the Balinese hold dear, such as balance and harmony. Taksu, or spiritual charisma, is the pinnacle of energy which every Balinese performer strives for to mesmerize both the human and divine audience.
Bringing the body down from the tower to place in the sarcophagus, at a royal cremation in Gianyar, 1992.
Almost every ritual has some type of art form associated with it. A temple festival has gamelan music and probably a shadow puppet play and a mask dance. A wedding might have a Joged (flirtatious social dance), and cremations have marching gamelans accompanying the procession to the cemetery. The Balinese love anything that is ramai (festive, full and colorful), and the more the better. It is not surprising to have at least two different types of music happening at the same time at a temple festival.
Part of the reason why there is so much artistic activity on this tiny island is that the soil, rich in volcanic minerals, produces an incredible array of agricultural produce. This easy availability of food allows more leisure time in which to make art. Yet the old adage that every Balinese is an artist is simply not true. What is true is that children (particularly boys) are encouraged to create. Any village that can afford it, will have its own gamelan orchestra as well as music and dance clubs.
Dance of Topeng Tua, an old man, one of the introductory characters in the Topeng dance-drama.
Balinese Religion
Balinese religion is a blend of ancestral worship, animism, Hinduism and Buddhism. The traditional village (desa adat) is the center of the universe for a Balinese, and the concept of mutual cooperation echoes in the interlocking rhythms of the gamelan. Every village has at least three communal temples and their
