DANCE IN BALI The Art of a People F1154DVD

Study Guide Categories of Balinese Dance At the heart of Balinese culture is Hinduism. This unique religion is the foundation of Bali’s rich art forms and dance in Bali not only serves as an offering to the Gods but also as entertainment for human beings. In Bali, dances are divided into three categories based upon the religious significance of a particular dance and the place of its performance. The three categories of dance in Bali are: Wali means “ritual” and refers to forms of music and dance that must be performed during religious ceremonies or festivals. These sacred dances are the oldest forms of dance in Bali. Usually, these dances are performed in the jeroan, the innermost, and holiest, courtyard of a Balinese temple. Bebali means “offering” and refers to ceremonial forms of music, dance and drama that are not necessarily a required part of a ritual but serve to accompany a ceremony. Bebali dances are held in the jaba tengah, the middle courtyard of a Balinese temple. Balih-balihan means “performance” or “spectacle” and refers to secular dances that act as entertainment in Bali. Into this category fall all dances that are not wali or bebali. These dances are, however, often associated with religious ceremonies and can be performed in the jaba, the outer court of a temple. The Art Of A People Four Secular dances, known as Balih-balihan, are featured on this disc: Teruna Jaya, Arja, Joged and Kecak. Although enjoyed as entertainment, these dances are art as metaphor and fulfill a rich function in society as a purveyor of morals and ethics. Teruna Jaya was choreographed before 1920 in north Bali by I Gede Manik. It means ‘victorious youth’ and is a dynamic and sophisticated dance which is very challenging to the dancer and gamelan orchestra. Arja is known as Balinese opera. The dance drama is sung in Balinese which gives it direct accessibility to its audience (Kawi, the ancient Javanese tongue, is used in much of the theatre in Bali which must be then translated for the audience) and allows for the introduction of many contemporary topics. Joged means ‘female dancer’ in old Javanese. A very improvisational dance structured around basic Balinese dance movements, but inviting audience participation

which often times becomes very flirtatious and amusing. Often performed at ceremonial occasions, such as weddings, or for celebrating community works, such as harvest. Kecak was developed in the late 1920s. Based on the Sanghyang trance dance, the German artist Walter Spies and the Dutch author Katherine Mershon collaborated with the village Dance troop of Bedulu and I Wayan Limbak. Often known as the monkey dance, it unfolds the exploits of the monkey king Hanoman from the Hindu epic the Ramayana. The Kecak shown here is a more contemporary creation by Sardono W. Kusumo from 1972. It plays out the drama, again from the Ramayana, of the brother monkey kings, Subali and Sugriwa. Suggested Further Reading There exists a vast range of literature concerning traditional Balinese arts and culture. Below are suggested books that will allow you to find out more information relating to Balinese dance and music: Originally published in 1938, Dance and Drama in Bali by Walter Spies and Beryl de Zoete (2002, Hong Kong and Singapore: Periplus Editions) contains a large selection of both pictures and stories relating to various forms of Balinese dance-drama. A more recent book on Balinese dance is The Sacred Dances of Bali by Christian Racki (1998, Denpasar: CV. Buratwangi). This book contains colour photographs and provides the reader with short introductions to many Balinese dances. To find out more about the music that accompanies many of the various forms of Balinese dance Michael Tenzer’s Balinese Music (1998, Berkley: Periplus) provides an excellent introduction and is presented in an easy to understand manner. For more in-depth information regarding Balinese dance I Made Bandem and Fredrik E. de Boer’s Balinese Dance in Transition: Kaja and Kelod. (1981, Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University Press) and Colin McPhee’s “Dance in Bali.” (1970, in Traditional Balinese Culture edited by Jane Belo, pp. 290-321. New York: Columbia University Press) provides a more technical and analytical approach. Glossary Alus - “refined” Arja - a secular form of Balinese Operetta Baris - “to line up” or “to file” Baris Gede - a male ensemble dance for ritual ceremonies Baris Tunggal - a secular solo male warrior dance Barong - a mythical character, part lion and part bear who represents the positive side of humankind Bondres - clown characters in the Topeng dance drama Calonarang - a dance-drama performed in times of illness or magic Gamelan - an orchestra of metallophones, flutes, gongs

and drums Gambuh - an ancient form of Balinese dance originating from 14th Ctr. Java Jaran - “horse” Joged - a flirtatious and amusing form of secular dance Kawi - a form the old Javanese language Kebyar - a style of Balinese music and dance dating from the 1920s Kecak - a performance deriving from the cak choruses of the Sanghyang trance dances Keras - “rough” or “hard” Keris - Indonesian sword, often inbued with magical power Legong Kraton - a style of dance originating from the Balinese royal courts Manis - “sweet” Rangda - a mythical character who represents the negative side of humankind Sanghyang - “holy” or “deity” Teruna Jaya - a dynamic dance that portrays a young man in love Topeng - “mask”; also denotes a form of Balinese mask dance-drama Topeng Dalem - the king in a Topeng dance-drama; a refined character with a white mask Penasar - the storyteller with a half-mask in a Topeng dance-drama Topeng Keras - a strong character with a red or brown mask Topeng Keras Bues - a strong, yet humorous character often with goofy teeth Topeng Panca - a Topeng dance-drama involving five performers Topeng Pajegan - a Topeng dance-drama involving a single performer Topeng Tua - the old man from a dance-drama

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