| When
we see a Balinese dance or drama performance, it is inevitable that the
feeling of witnessing an ancient rooted arts-form arise. The speed, suppleness,
and physical and emotional control of the dancers and for some degree an
aura of celestial beauty that envelop the air, will bring us to the conclusion
that this arts-form must have been going trough many human generation of
perfection. The subtlety of the beauty and the air of magic of the dance,
also suggest that this kind of arts must be created during the period when
materialism still not emerge as a kind of God as it does today. This feeling
for most part contains the truth, that is, after we take aside some ancient
impression Balinese dances which are in fact created in modern times. One
of them is Kecak, the often called monkey dance - with it's well
known "chack-chack-chack!" oral music - which was created during colonial
period in the thirties by the Balinese, to visualize the imagination of
multi-talented artist, Walter Spies, a Russian born German! Other example
is Janger, the dance of boys and girls based on western cabaret
brought to Bali by the Dutch during colonial period of the island.
To trace the origin of Balinese dance-dramas, especially in prehistoric period, is difficult. Without written text found originated before first millennium, we don't know how was the dancing or performing arts situation at the time. But based on bas-reliefs found in many candi or temples and sites in Indonesia and in lontar - traditional books made of palm leafs -, we know that at least before the end of first millennium, this arts-form had been practiced in Indonesia. In Bali particularly, dances as well as music has long been a necessity for many religious festivals, this happen for at least many centuries. One of the oldest Balinese dance-dramas which has written text associated with it is Gambuh. Assumed many centuries old, the dance with unique musical instrument accompaniment, displays dancing and vocal skills of the dancers. The gambuh play is a story from Panji, a kind of chronicle of princes and princesses of Java, that depicts political as well as romantic story of the courts. It's believed that gambuh influenced all of other Balinese dances that developed in later time. Arja is one of the most technically difficult dance-drama of Bali, since the dancers must sing and dance at the same time, a kind of opera. Arja dancers, accompanied by specific musical instrument called guntang, often sing and dance intricately and beautifully at the same time, causing this dance becomes one of the most artistic Balinese dances. Arja is one example of the dances that influenced by gambuh. Later, in the nineteenth century, in Bali emerged a form of dance that becomes so famous up to this day, Legong. It utilizes specific musical instrument made of bronze, called pelegongan. Many of the repertoires of this music are derived from gambuh. The legong is considered by many as the masterpiece of Balinese dances of beauty and grace.
Beside modern time created dance-dramas such as Kecak and Janger, there are many others that probably not in time sequence with the above. Topeng, is a dance form which all of it's dancers are wearing masks. In Bali, the word topeng means a dance-drama form, while Indonesian topeng means mask, meanwhile Balinese for mask is tapel. This dance-drama usually tells the story of Javanese and Balinese courts. The dance of the topeng is refine and flowing. Seems like the dancers are enjoying the act of dancing it self, it flows slowly and not in a hurry. Topeng is mostly danced by men. One of the topeng is called Topeng Pajegan, a dance of many characters played by a man who utilizes and changes many masks during a performance. Surely this dance form of Topeng is only for a dancer with good dancing skill and pure mind and concentration. This dance is for ritual purpose, and mask for the last character called Sidakarya, with one of the character task is to finish certain ceremony. Other form of dance-drama which also utilizes masks for their characters called Wayang Wong. The story is from Ramayana, Indian great epic.
Apart from the above, Bali has many other dance forms. The dance that accompanied by genggong music, a kind of bamboo harp music played by mouth, is one example. There is also selonding, a musical instrument made of iron, accompanied dance, gegenjekan, some kind of spontaneous social dance with oral music, danced when drinking tuak , Balinese beer. Joged is social dance accompanied by bamboo percussion music, and more. |
