the liminal space of the langse (curtain), he or she goes from the present to the past—a time that lives on in the performance. Some dancers linger a while at the curtain, teasing the audience, singing or speaking from behind, hesitating to emerge. Others come directly out, either miming the opening of the curtain or moving right into the dance. Whichever way it is done, the dancer becomes not necessarily a specific personage but the essence of the character. His or her own ego is forgotten. Many performers can tell of the exhilaration of doing a role well, of pleasing not only the human audience but the divine as well.
Actors, dancers and puppeteers perform for a number of religious events. The Balinese classify their rituals (yadnya, literally "sacrifice") into five main types: dewa yadnya for the deities, such as temple festivals; bhuta yadnya for the nature spirits who create chaos; manusa yadnya, rites of passage such as a tooth-filing ceremony or a wedding; pitra yadnya, death rites; and rsi yadnya, purification rites for a priest. Some dances are only performed at specific times, such as Baris Poleng for cremations or Rejang at a temple festival; others could be done as entertainment during any of the rites.
Masks used in the sacred Topeng performance are blessed before being worn. Shown here are the Penasar, Dalem and Sidhakarya masks.
Learning to Perform
Everyone learns by watching and copying. Here, in Bali, it takes a more active form, especially on the teacher's part. In dance, a teacher molds the pupil's body to her own so that every nuance of the style can be absorbed by the student. In music, the teacher sits on the opposite side of the instrument and plays it backwards while teaching! The whole learning process is a community event. Rehearsals take place in the bale banjar or community hall for all to observe.
Said to be the incarnation of the late Ketut Madra of Sukawati, I Made Gede Panji Prameswara, Madra's grandson, manipulates the shadow puppets of the Wayang Kulit with ease.
A Part of Daily Life
The integration of the arts into Balinese daily life is one of the great beauties of this culture. Children begin learning at an early age. They hear the gamelan music while still in the womb, and as babies, held in a family member's lap, they are encouraged to dance with their hands before they can walk. The arts are not something locked away in a studio to be brought out for public viewing only when finished. On the contrary, rehearsals are held at the bale banjar for all to see, comment on and criticize. Women set up small food stalls and sell their goods to the audience and passersby. Mistakes provoke laughter, yet this is all part of the learning process. Young dancers cannot be embarrassed by a crowd's watchful eyes. If they make an error, they will be corrected in public during a rehearsal, and receive critical comments from family members, neighbors and onlookers. This toughens them for performance.
Children begin formal study at around seven years old, although some might start earlier. They find themselves performing before an audience even before they have perfected their musical or dancing abilities. This is intentional and teaches them humility. Moreover, the purpose of the performance is not perfection but an offering to their ancestral deities and gods and goddesses. The intention and feeling with which it is performed is most important. School recitals and other performances in the community give students a chance "to show their stuff" and gain confidence.
A child born into an artistic family begins to learn at home by simple observation and imitation, then by more formal lessons with one of the family members. Children go along to performances with relatives to help them dress, make up and prepare for the show. In this way, they learn not only about movement, but about the whole context of dance, theater and music. A village can be famous for a particular art form, such as Gambuh, Arja or Legong, and the teachers there are sought out by other performers.
Manipulation of the limbs is one of the keys to absorbing the style of the teacher. Left to right: I Ketut Maria (Mario), one of Bali's best known choreographers and dancers in the 1920s, teaching Kebyar Duduk. The suppleness of his limbs extends to that of his pupil; I Nyoman Kakul teaching his young grandson Ketut Wirtawan the Baris dance, 1974.1 Made Jimat teaching a young girl in the 1990s.
Sekaa or Clubs
In many villages, there are numerous gamelan or music and dance clubs (sekaa). These groups usually consist of about fifty members who all voluntarily support the activities of the gamelan club. There are many types of sekaa but the groups described here are specifically for gamelan or music and dance. Within the sekaa are musicians, dancers, managers, costumers and drivers. They are paid for their services; most of the money goes into a communal kitty, and the rest is divided up among the members. There is fierce pride within the sekaa as well as friendly competition among rival groups. A performer also may perform independently of the sekaa. Dancers and actors who belong to different sekaa may be asked to perform together on occasion for dance-dramas such as Arja, Topeng and Drama Gong. This one-time ensemble is called a bon group. Therefore, a sponsor can hand-pick the group of actors and dancers.
There are social organizations that promote artistic endeavors. The banjar or local hamlet often owns a gamelan orchestra that can be played at any time, a fact that children may take advantage of. If they have a sekaa, weekly rehearsals are set and all members are obliged to attend. There are usually performances at local village functions, such as at temple festivals, where the sekaa will show off its latest pieces.
Aside from the traditional sekaa, there are now sanggar or dance and music studios. These first started to sprout up in the city of Denpasar due to the demand at the time for dance lessons. The onset of tourism provided further opportunities for performing and teachers became in great demand. There are usually one or two well-known teachers in the sanggar and dancers study specific dances in order of difficulty. At the end of each level, a certificate is awarded along with a public performance. If you can get to one of these "graduation" ceremonies, it is great fun as the entire family usually shows up to cheer on their progeny. The students perform in full costume and make-up, oftentimes with a full gamelan orchestra, sometimes to a cassette tape.
A Typical Dance Class
Traditionally, dance is learned without mirrors. The child first mimics the form of the teacher. Once she has memorized the basic movement patterns, her teacher then moves behind and manipulates her limbs, at times making total body contact. In this way, the body feels what it is supposed to do and how it should place itself without needing to look in a mirror. Teachers today are much less strict than thirty years ago when the rule was to pound (sometimes literally with a stick!) the dance into the pupil. If that happened today, there would be few students in dance classes.
Ni Ketut Arini Alit teaching at home. Without mirrors to guide them, the students must move exactly as the teacher does.
Ni Ketut Arini Alit manipulates the arms of her pupil, at the same time kicking her feet into the correct position.
"Men" Sena of Tista teaching Legong. Fine adjustments for arm placements
