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Dance and Drama
The Grace and Power of
Balinese Dance and Drama
No visit to Bali can be called
complete without witnessing at least one performance of the
spectacular mix of grace and spirit, passion and power that
is Balinese dance. Whether it is the delicate beauty of the
Legong dance, where angelic young girls move with
breathtaking grace to the silvery tones of a gamelan
orchestra, or the uncanny magic of the Calonarang drama
where the evil witch Rangda does battle with the legendary
Barong and his legion of dagger-wielding followers, or the
spine-tingling action of the Kecak, whose hundred man chorus
sends up an eerie symphony of sound into the still night
air, a performance of Balinese dance is something the
visitor will never forget.
Traditionally,
Balinese dance flourished around the ancient kingdoms that
ruled the worldly and religious life of the island. Kings
commanded beautiful and powerful dancers to perform for
their pleasure and to offer delightful entertainment to the
gods so that they might shower prosperity on the realm.
Promising dancers were brought to the courts to be trained
by expert teachers, their movements molded over long years
of patient practice into the ideal embodiment of physical
and spiritual beauty. Today, in modern Bali, dance still
flourishes.
These days, however, it is
not royal patronage but an admiring audience of foreign
guests that has lent a new prestige to these traditional
arts and made Balinese dance famous world wide for its
unparalleled grace, passion and style. With the eyes of the
world watching in anticipation, Balinese dance troupes have
become more active, more creative, and more awesomely
talented than ever before.
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