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Dance
Dance performances can be seen most days anywhere there is a festival or celebration or simply for the visitors entertainment. Traditional dances in particular should be viewed in their entirety as they often convey a story with both comic and spiritual elements.
Most dancers learn from an expert by following their movements very carefully and by practising often. |
Kecak Dance
The kecak dance, also known by Westerners as the monkey dance, is an unmissable showcase of Balinese choreography.
This dance, performed by a circle of 100 or more performers wearing checked cloth around their waists, percussively chanting "cak" and throwing up their arms, depicts a battle from the Ramayana where monkeys help Prince Rama fight the evil King Ravana.
Kecak is performed regularly at the Nelayan Restaurant of Jimbaran Puri Bali Hotel.
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Barong & Rangda
This dance rival the Kecak as the most popular dance for visitors to the island. The story is an exciting tale charting the age old battle of good against evil.
Barong Kekt (the good) and the horrible if sometimes comical form of Rangda (the bad) dual with each other in front of the excited audience. Supporters of Barong, the good natured dog-lion try to step in to help their revered spiritual king, but Rangda casts a spell on them and they try then to stab themselves instead!
Thankfully Barong casts a counter-spell to stop them harming themselves and eventually good triumphs over evil once again. |
Music
Balinese music is based around a large group of musicians called a gamelan or gong. The modern more popular form has up to 25 musicians making up the ensemble. More traditional gamelans comprise of between 35 and 40 musicians in one orchestra.
The music itself may be strange to the Western ear, with the previlent voice being that of the xylophone and the jangly percussion, but it is excting and enjoyable.
The pieces are learned by heart and handed down through the generations, Father to Son. | |
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