Dancing to the tune of Balinese culture

A LAND OF MANY FACES Bali has retained much of its Hindu-inspired cultural identity.

Bali is known as the island of artists. The mesmerizing sounds of local orchestras, the countless sacred dances, beautiful textiles, and the unique wayang style of painting are among some of the island’s cultural elements that have captured the hearts of visitors. The Bali Arts Festival takes place in June each year, exhibiting works and showcasing performances from among the island’s 6,000 artistic organizations. Gold and silver works, pottery, paintings, textiles and weaving, wood and stone carving and sculpture dominate the island’s art scene, not to mention the island’s long standing traditions in herbal medicines and aromatherapy. The opulent, artistic highland village of Ubud in the Gianyar region of the island is particularly famed as being a center for the arts and is often considered the cultural heart of Bali. The modern Balinese art movement began there and the village is home to many respected local and western artists, as well as one of the best art museums in the country. Ubud is also an ideal place to see Balinese dance the spiritual heart of Balinese art.

Balinese dance and drama actually have their origins in Javanese culture, as a result of the island’s occupation by the Majapahit Empire in the 14th century. Later, when Islam began to spread throughout Java, most of this original culture vanished–saved only by the pockets of locals who had been influenced on the island of Bali. Today, the masks and dances of Bali reflect the island’s Hindu culture and are an important part of all ceremonies and festivals. Local dances are always accompanied by the village orchestra (gamelan), who use a medley of brass instruments including gongs, cymbals, and hand drums. Moreover, each particular dance and dramatic performance requires its own special combination of instruments; melodious bamboo flutes, two-stringed violins, and an instrument similar to the Jew’s harp called the genggong are all used to provide special effects. Although Balinese music has a long history, it was traditionally passed from generation to generation and has only begun to be recorded in recent years.

Perhaps the most exquisite of the Balinese dances is the classical Legong, traditionally performed for the entertainment of the king. Young Balinese girls, wrapped from head to ankle in glittering hand-painted gold brocade, glide and sway in a pantomime representing the ancient story of King Lasem and his ill-fated love. Other typical dances include the Kecak, which counts on the participation of over 100 men. It evolved from the male chants of the trance-inducing Sanghyang ceremony, and the Topeng, or masked dance, which combines ancient literature and local history.