Dances Mesmerize Urban Balinese: Denpasar, Bali

There was an extremely interesting article by I Wayan Juniartha in yesterday’s Jakarta Post, and, rather than post the link to the article I have included it for your perusal.

Nine times out of ten if I put up a link to the JP then you will probably not find it because the paper has a tendency to move their articles around.

The article, about ancient masked dance drama of Wayang Wong, is relevant considering mid this month there is the Bali Arts Festival - a fabulous event in which you can witness practically every dance performed on the island of Bali as well as though from other islands in the archipelago. Naturally I will be putting up more information about the Bali Arts Festival as the event draws nearer.

Here is the tremendous article by I Wayan Juniartha:

Dances mesmerize urban Balinese
I Wayan Juniartha, Denpasar

The head of Bali's Taman Budaya Art Center, Dewa Putu Beratha, smiled happily as his eyes scanned its fully packed Angsoka theater. "I never thought so many people would come" he whispered "particularly since the festival is devoted entirely to classical dance.

"Moreover it is not even on a weekend night which is traditionally considered family outing time."

On that Wednesday night hundreds of people filled the Angsoka, a rusted mini amphitheater of red bricks and towering frangipani. Families sat side by side on the concrete benches while young couples untroubled by the lack of empty seats, stood or huddled together, to be more precise - on the outer rim of the spectators area.

Their eyes were fixed on the dimly lit circular stage where traditional dancers were performing the ancient masked dance drama of Wayang Wong. In the center of the stage Kumbakarna the mighty army general of the ogre kingdom of Alengka challenged the monkey warriors to deadly combat.

The monkey warriors including the white-furred Anoman, the greenish-blue-furred Anila and the red-furred Sugriwa, answered the challenge with a ferocity that instantly transformed the stage into a blurry landscape of swirling colors.

Beautiful as it was their attack was a complete failure. Their fangs and claws were no match for Kumbakarna's combat skills. Hissing in desperation the monkey warriors sought assistance from their lords, Rama and Laksmana.

The lords drawn bows and glittering arrows told Kumbakarna that his end was near. The brave ogre stood tall. He made no apology as he faced the cold steel tips of Rama's and Laksmana‘s arrows.

In silence the monkey warriors watched the giant fall lifeless to the ground. It was a melancholy victory in a regrettable battle.

"Kumbakarna did not share the ambition and pride of his brother the infamous Rahwana. A reluctant warrior Kumbakarna fought to defend the honor of his country not to justify Rahwana's misdeeds" Dewa Beratha said.

The poignant story line clearly was not the performances only strength. The dancers energy and agility mesmerized the audience.

"The dancers are from the small village of Tejakula in northern Bali. It is no wonder that the village has been hailed as the Wayang Wong‘s epicenter. Its people have succeeded not only in keeping the dance drama alive but also in retaining its distinctive style and passion" actor Kadek Suardhana said.

Monkey warriors brace themselves for the brutal battle against ogre general Kumbakarna in the classical dance drama, Wayang Wong.

Moreover these traditional performers surprised their urban Balinese spectators with a critical revelation: that Bali’s classical dance drama is no less captivating than any other modern dance dram or any other modern entertainment for that matter.

"I have to admit at several points during the performance I had to hold my breath because the scenes were so exciting and energetic. Traditional or not it was definitely a powerful performance" said spectator Dita Cahyani.
The Wayang Wong of Tejakula was one of eight dances and dance dramas featured in the Balinese Classical Dance Festival organized by the Taman Budaya on May 30-31.

"The festival also features music by the sacred gong ensemble of Selonding. The tunes produced by Selonding are believed to be similar to the music of the spiritual realms of the universe" Dewa Beratha said.

Most of the dances he added are sacred in nature and are generally performed in ritual settings such as the Sanghyang Dedari a dance about heavenly nymphs performed by two young girls in a trance state. Some of the dances are performed only in certain parts of the island such as the primitive warrior dance of Baris Jangkang which is found only in the isolated village of Pelilit on the small island of Nusa Penida. In its original setting this dance of lance-wielding ferocious-looking warriors was performed to ward off demonic spirits and deadly plagues.

Balinese youths, Dewa Beratha pointed out, would have no difficulty finding, watching and learning the common Balinese traditional dances. It would be very difficult for them to find a sacred dance performance let alone to learn about these dances due to their specific characteristics and socio-religious contexts.

"Thats the reason behind this festival; introducing the sacred dances to a wider audience particularly to Balinese youths in the islands urbanized areas such as Denpasar" he said.

"It really made me happy to see that the attendance level is quite high and that the majority of the spectators are coming from the young population" he added.

Similar sentiments were shared by many young audience members.

"It is an eye-opening experience. I hope Taman Budaya will make this festival an annual event" said young writer Iwan Dharmawan.

Photos: I Wayan Juniartha