kecak dance
The Kecak Dance is an especially unique and one of the most
dramatic of all Balinese dances. A combination of dance and drama, the Kecak
dance depicts the Hindu epic, “Ramayana,” and tells the story of Prince Rama,
who with the help of the monkey-king Hanoman defeats the evil King Rahvana to
rescue his Princess Sita. Kecak also has roots in Sanghyang, a sacred ritual
based on the idea that during the performance, hyangs, or spiritual entities will
enter and possess the bodies of the dancers.
The dance begins just as the glowing sun slowly sets beyond
the horizon at sea. To catch this
dramatic moment, the stage is placed with the temple of Tanah Lot or Uluwatu as
background. A chorus of 150 men clad in checkered cloths around their waists,
representing an army of monkeys, utter percussive sounds. They sit in
concentric circles, leaving an open arena with an oil torch in its center.
As the sky darkens, the burning flames of the torch become
the only natural lighting of this cacophonous play, creating a truly mystical
atmosphere, illuminating the performers and audience alike in a haunting glow.
The circular ensemble sways rhythmically back and forth and
waves their hands as the drama unfolds, yet above the chants of the swaying
masses, the narrator’s voice can be heard, telling the tale. As the plot
progresses, the ring of acapella percussionists enhance the performance of the
lead actors in the center by acting as the armies in the battle scenes, and
even unite as an enormous, twisting serpent in the performance’s final climax.A
triumph of style and emotion over actual story, the Kecak dance is sure to keep
every viewer captivated for every second of the show.
The story takes an episode of the great Ramayana epic. It
tells about the abduction of Princess Sita by the giant Rahwana when Prince
Rama and Princess Sita were wondering in the forests. Prince Rama leaves his
wife to chase a golden deer. But first he draws a circle around her, which he
tells her not to step out from. Rahwana sees her and through ruse succeeds to
abduct her to his palace. In his search for his wife, King Rama meets the
monkey king Hanoman who helps him. Hanoman’s monkey army burns Rahwana’s
palace, and so the two lovers are happily reunited.
Unlike other Balinese dances, the Kecak is not performed to
the accompaniment of Gamelan, which is the Balinese “orchestra.” Instead it is
enacted to the sounds of 150 or more male voices chanting “chak-achak-achak,”
hence giving the dance its name. Another
unique factor is that the Kecak is also one of the only dances that was created
for the sole purpose of entertaining visitors. It is hardly ever watched by the
Balinese themselves.
Kecak was originally a trance ritual accompanied by a male
chorus. In the 1930’s, the German painter and musician Walter Spies took a deep
interest in the ritual while he was living in Bali. He then worked together
with Balinese dancer Wayan Limbak to recreate it into a drama, combining themes
and movements from the traditional Sanghyang exorcism rituals with portions of
the Hindu epic, Ramayana. The intention was to create a dance that was both
authentic to Balinese traditions, yet appealing to Western audiences.
Wayan Limbak later toured the globe with a troupe of
Balinese performers, thus popularizing the dance and making it famous
throughout the world.
Pura Luhur Uluwatu is one of Bali’s 9 main temples, and is
one of the places you can personally witness the Kecak Dance. The temple is
perched at the edge of a steep cliff, overlooking the crashing waves 70 meters
below. Originally a very small temple, Pura Luhur Uluwatu was first expanded by
a Javanese sage during the 11th century.
As the temple is sacred ground, one must be properly dressed
before entering, as respect to the Balinese Hindus. Sarongs are available free
at the entrance for women wearing clothing that does not cover their knees.
Visitors to the temple can feel free to roam about and explore the temple
grounds, but the central courtyard can only be entered during special rituals.
The Kecak dance is performed at the temple every evening at
6:00 p.m. in an open-air arena to the
backdrop of the ember sky, as the glowing red sun sinks beneath the horizon.
Tickets to the dance can be purchased for approximately IDR 75,000. Visitors
should note that during high season, tickets are often sold out and should be
booked a few days in advance.
Pura Luhur Uluwatu is located on the island of Bali, about
45 minutes from Nusa Dua, or 1 hour 15 minutes from Kuta or Tuban area.
tags: Tags:video,kecak,bali,tradition,culture
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