THE KECAK
A spectacle of sound and light, flickering torches illuminate a chorus of men, whose voices are the orchestral accompaniment to a dramatic story told in dance. Complex and varied chants echo in sync to swaying movements. The only other music to rhythmically accompany them are the beats of their palms hitting their chests, thighs or other parts of their bodies.
Created in the 1930s, the kecak dance was a collaborative effort between Walter Spies, a German musician and painter, and Wayan Limbak, a Balinese dancer. They adapted the kecak, originally a trance ritual accompanied by a male chorus, to a drama in dance based on an excerpt from the epic Sanskrit poem, Ramayana.
Amidst this living stage of movement and vocals, a storyteller narrates the epic tale that unfolds in dance. A fragment from the Ramayana, the dance charts the abduction of Sita, the beautiful wife of the god Rama by Rahwana, the lustful evil demon who desires her and the trials and challenges Rama and his brother, Laksamana, must face to ensure her rescue as well as the help they receive from Hanoman, a monkey general and Garuda, the king of all birds.
Created in the 1930s, the kecak dance was a collaborative effort between Walter Spies, a German musician and painter, and Wayan Limbak, a Balinese dancer. They adapted the kecak, originally a trance ritual accompanied by a male chorus, to a drama in dance based on an excerpt from the epic Sanskrit poem, Ramayana.
Amidst this living stage of movement and vocals, a storyteller narrates the epic tale that unfolds in dance. A fragment from the Ramayana, the dance charts the abduction of Sita, the beautiful wife of the god Rama by Rahwana, the lustful evil demon who desires her and the trials and challenges Rama and his brother, Laksamana, must face to ensure her rescue as well as the help they receive from Hanoman, a monkey general and Garuda, the king of all birds.
THE LEGONG
Characterised by intricate finger movements, complicated footwork, expressive gestures and facial expressions, the legong is a refined dance traditionally performed in royal courts by young girls who begin their training from the age of five. A gamelan orchestra provides the background accompaniment and the two main dancers often also have a third dancer referred to as a condong or attendant. Her role is similar to that of narrator; she sets the scene, introduces the characters, presents the dancers with their fans and on occasion, plays supporting roles.
The classical legong enacts several traditional stories in dance, all told in an elaborate, stylised pantomime. Typically these stories feature scenes from nature or capture moments in time. The Manuk Rawa portrays the beautiful and deadly nature of the long-legged wild birds that inhabit the mangroves, while the Oleg Tambulilingan, created by the Balinese dance maestro I Ketut Maria in 1952, is inspired by the spirit of love and set in a flower garden with the dancers as bees pursuing one another from one flower to the next.
The classical legong enacts several traditional stories in dance, all told in an elaborate, stylised pantomime. Typically these stories feature scenes from nature or capture moments in time. The Manuk Rawa portrays the beautiful and deadly nature of the long-legged wild birds that inhabit the mangroves, while the Oleg Tambulilingan, created by the Balinese dance maestro I Ketut Maria in 1952, is inspired by the spirit of love and set in a flower garden with the dancers as bees pursuing one another from one flower to the next.
