Balinese Dance in Carribean?!

Every end of year, we have a Festive Seasons Program which specifically designed to celebrate Christmas and New Year for the guest in my work place, in Carribean. One of my favorite of last year program was High Tea with Balinese Dance Performance. Unquestionably, as a Balinese, I am absolutely happy and proud of the idea. Besides I could introduce a small piece of my culture, this may ease my homesick of my homeland.

Balinese dance is greatly different from western modern dance neither or Carribean dance. It has its own unique. Start from the costumes, the movements, the music and also the story behind the dance. The movement is closely associated with the rhythms produced by the traditional percussion or in Bali called gamelan. Multiple levels of articulations in the face, eyes, hands, arms, hips, and feet are coordinated to reflect layers of the gamelan sounds itself. Hand positions and gestures are nonetheless as important parts of the dance. The story mostly is telling about Balinese way of life, their flora and fauna and also about Hindu’s epic.

Last December’07, I and some of my Balinese colleagues had chance to show off our very own Balinese dance. The stage was set up just like how you see a festival stage in Bali, decorated by coconut leave, offering and also covered with gold paint cloth or Balinese called Prada. (Prada is a name of one of Balinese textiles; it has no relation with the Italian high-fashion brand PRADA, Don’t mixed up…!)

About two hours time, the guests either regular guest or homeowner which included some of Hollywood celebrities (sorry I cannot reveal the name on this page) were spoiled by the performance.

The first dance was Panyebrama Dance or Welcome Dance.

Panyebrama Dance

Panyebrama is a Balinese Dance of welcome. It permits the dancers to welcome the guests and to pay them homage with a rain of flower petals. The hospitality and friendliness conveyed through the smiles of the dancers.

Afterward followed by Tenun Dance or Waving Dance.

Tenun Dance

Dance by a single women that portrayed how Balinese prepare threads and how they warp the loom. You will see the pictures of how Balinese do the traditional Balinese woven textile.

The third or the last dance performed was Belibis Dance or Young Herons Dance.

Belibis Dance

This dance is telling two young herons with their mother in the middle of a pond flying around and looking for food.

“The show was fabulous! Beyond Belief… Hopefully I can show them some more… “

If you are interesting to know about Balinese dance, here are brief stories of some other well known Balinese Dances that is more than worth to see when you have chance to visit my homeland Bali…

BARONG : Barong is probably the most well known dance. It is a story narrating the struggle between good which personified as a semi lion creature (Barong) and evil which symbolized by a Witch (Rangda).

KECAK : Kecak is a spectacular dance usually performed at night, surrounding a bonfire. There can literally be one hundred or more bare chest men, sitting down on the ground surrounding the bonfire, led by a priest in the middle. The only music to accompany them are the beats of their palms hitting their chests, their thighs, or other parts of their bodies, or their claps, rhythmically accompanied by shouting and chanting ‘Chak-kechak-kechak-chak’.

REJANG : Danced by females, Rejang dance is a procession of those who have just barely learned to walk to those who can barely walk, moving in a slow and stately fashion towards the altar, twirling fans or lifting their sashes.

BARIS : Literally means warrior formation. This is a warrior dance usually danced by men. The movements are dramatic. It is hard to distinguish whether it is the dancer that follows the orchestra, or the other way around. You could say that they both go off into their own dimensions, yet at certain well-defined times meet to create an astounding tapestry.

JANGER : Janger is performed by young girls. Peacock crown shaped headwear made from intricately woven gold-colored, dried coconut leaves rests gallantly on their heads. The girls are open shouldered, dressed in a piece of cloth wrapped around the chest, and a batik wrap on the waist down. Most of the dances are performed sitting down, with highly coordinated hand, shoulder, and eye movements.

OLEG TAMBULILINGAN : This is a Balinese dance that evokes the love between two bumblebees

TARUNA JAYA : This Balinese dance expresses the character of a young man who is proud and sure of himself, in the prime of his life. “Taruna” means “young man” and “Jaya” means “victorious”. But his mood changes quickly, sometimes he is smiling and sometimes angry or provocitive. This dance is from Northern Bali known for its fast and dynamic music.

LEGONG : Legong is the most feminine dance and graceful dance. It is ussually danced by prepubescent girls.

KEBYAR : Kebyar is usually danced by two women with beautiful, long, shiny black hair, accentuated at the top by a band of cempaka blossoms. Fans on one hand, they move dramatically. Feet are strongly grounded, and hands and feet move abruptly.