Kecak Fire Trance Dance, Balinese Dances, Ubud, Bali

Dances To Entertain And Please The Gods

 

 

 

 

Non Tourist Traditional Dances

Most people arriving in Bali will see the tourist version of the dances, and  they are

similar to the original, but have been shortened and embellished with extra bits of
humor. Although most tourists wouldn't give it a second thought, there are still the
real traditional dances with  gamelan music,  performed at the non tourist temples
usually in the late evening, during a ceremonial time. The Balinese love their
ceremonies and in fact, their lives have a way of revolving around them.

 

Balinese ceremonies are set on auspicious dates by the high priests, according to a
Balinese calendar and the phases of the moon. The temple ceremonies  tend to be
very crowded and are not advertised or normally seen by tourists.  To be able to view
these dances would require some research while you are in Bali. (unfortunately it
can't be done on the internet) You would need to ask a lot of questions of the right
people.

If lucky enough to attend a real ceremony with dancing and music,  be prepared
to wear your sarong and sash, be as respectful as you can, bring water
and be prepared to spend a lot of time standing around waiting in the heat.  It is
important to be discreet with taking photos or ask permission first.  At many times,
it is inappropriate to take a photo and at other times, it is off limits.

Remember, these dances are part of a religious ceremony, you are a guest and you
don't want to be an embarrassment to your country. Currently, the Balinese are in the
process of deciding whether or not to make these private ceremonies totally off limits
to tourists.  It is probably just a matter of time before that will happen.

Tourist Dances.

If you want to see the tourist version of the Balinese dance and music,  there are
several traditional Balinese dance performance locations  in Ubud and that makes it
very convenient. 

 

Ubud Dance Performance Information:

         Entry Fees and Time: Currently, 80,000 rupiahs ($7.00 U.S.)starts at 7:30 p.m. 
         It is best to arrive at least 30 min early, if you want a good seat for taking photos.

          On the sidewalks near the venue, there are ticket sellers who will gladly sell to
          you.  They get a little commission when you buy the ticket from them, instead
          of at the entrance gate.
      
          Snacks and Patience: Inside, there are older women carrying buckets on their head
          with beer and soft drinks.  Bring your own snacks, a little patience and be prepared
          to sit for a couple of hours.

Kecak Trance Dance

 

One of the dances that I am most fascinated with is the Kecak Dance.  It is unique in
that there is typically  no gamelan accompaniment while a large circled group of

men go into a trance and end up prancing through fire and kicking up ashes at the end
of the show.  I found that if you relax, let yourself go and go with the flow, it is possible
to enter your own little trance.  There is no harm in drifting off  and I think it adds to
the experience.(unless you start snoring and embarrass yourself)

Also known as the Ramanaya Monkey Chant,  the Kecak evolved in the 1930s,  depicts
a battle from the Ramayana. The monkey like Vanara helped Prince Rama fight the evil
King Ravana. 

 

 

 

Kecak, restful trance scene

Did I mention the time a real, honest to goodness snake crawled out into the dead
center of the group of men in trance. I think the snake was attracted to the  trance
chanting energy and felt safe to be part of it. The scene was surprising, surreal, and
innocent to watch him crawl in.The audience group was heard whispering nervously,
some chuckling and eventually one of the chanting men intuitively woke up and with
precision, walked over, grabbed the fellas neck, picked him up and did something
with him behind  a hidden gate. I had a feeling the snake might be history and that
he was going to be entering his next life very soon.  We could say here, "what
happens behind the gate....stays behind the gate!"   

Perhaps, someone can explain to me how the karma works in that situation, especially
if he had been killed.  What happens to the  karma of the man who killed him and the
karma of the innocent snake.




Kecak Fire Dance, stamping and kicking through the burning coals.   They can
do so without getting burned since they are in trance. I've seen the coals getting
kicked up into the audience area....beware.
 

 

    Click for Video - Kecak Trance Dance, Uluwatu, Bali

   7 Minute Video - Exotic Ramayana Monkey Dance

     

Legong Dance And Ramayana Dance

 

Legong is a heavenly dance of divine nymphs.  Of all the classical Balinese dances, it

remains the quintessence of femininity and grace.The dance emphasizes intricate finger movements with unusually arched fingers, precise footwork, lovely graceful dancing,,

and bold, flickering eye movements. 

 

The Legong Dance is one historically done by young girls who retire at the age of 14 and

even now, they are usually quite young.  Traditionally, they start training early at age 4 or

or so and were trained by a master, older, retired woman dancer.    In former times, the

dancers were recruited from the aptest and prettiest children.

 

Both the Legong Dance and Ramayana Dance follow a Hindu story, an epic battle between

a good prince and an evil king. Accompanied by the gamelan gong orchestra, the Ramayana

dance is a unique dance combination of traditional dance techniques and modern comedy.

 

 

 

Legong and Ramayana Dance at Ubud Palace, Bali

 

 

Priest performs blessing before performance

 

Legong Dancer

 

 

Young performer in Legong - Ramayana Dance

  

 

  

Video of Legong and Ramayana Dance, Ubud, Bali

                                             Click here if video above does not cooperate