Bali Experience

In Bali, where one’s ancestors are worshipped in sacred shines and where one’s forebears are reincarnated to walk again upon the earth, history provides a living link to the past. And nowhere is Balinese history, in all its power and passion, presented so spectacularly as in the traditional dance dramas that have made the island famous. Telling tales of long ago kingdoms, where brave princes and beautiful maidens battled fearsome enemies with the help of magical powers, these recreations of the ancient days of glory offer breathtaking windows into Bali’s past and the resilience of its traditions.

One of the most enduring images of Bali is that of the Legong dancer, a stunning young maiden who enraptures her audience with her glittering costume, her breathtaking beauty and her awesome technical skill. Besides being the performance most certain to win raves from foreign audiences, Legong is also considered to be one of the most important classical Balinese dances, epitomizing feminine grace and charm, and all female dance students are encouraged to master its difficult moves. Legend has it that the Legong was created at the command of the 18th century King of Sukawati, who was visited by two hauntingly beautiful angels while he was meditating. He ordered his court dancers to reproduce his vision, with exquisitely successful results. Today the best Legong dancers begin their arduous training at around age five, and may become accomplished enough to perform by the age of eight to twelve. Draped in elaborate gold costumes, they dance stories from ancient epics, executing the complex movements and otherworldly flicks of the eyes that bring their characters to life.

Gambuh is the oldest of Balinese dances, the basic form from which all later works are believed to be derived. Thought to have been brought to Bali by migrants from the 14th century Javanese kingdom of Majapahit, Gambuh is a slow, hypnotizingly graceful dance, accompanied by singing in the old Javanese language of Kawi and by an orchestra playing low-toned bamboo flutes and a stringed instrument, similar to a violin, called a rebab. These classical performances tell tales from the Malat, an ancient epic poem about the dramatic adventures of Prince Panji and his long and dangerous search for a beautiful princess.

The Topeng, or masked dance, is another style of performance devoted to telling tales of traditional culture and long ago legends. Dressed in elaborate costumes and hand carved and painted wooden masks, Topeng dancers entertain and inform, presenting a mixture of slapstick comedy, current events and moral reminders to their eager audiences. Many of the masks themselves are striking works of art, believed to possess sacred powers. Dancers treat the masks with caution and respect, for they believe that the spirit of the mask can enter the dancer in performance.

The Wayang Kulit, or shadow play, is one of the most ancient, respected and well-known of the Balinese performing arts. The plays are performed by an expert puppet-master, called a dalang, who wields an array of leather and paint puppets from behind a thin screen, with an oil lamp to cast the flickering shadows seen by the audience. Authentic Wayang performances begin in the evening and may continue until the wee hours of the morning, with spectators nodding off around the stage, only to wake up when the action gets heated. As entertaining as they are, however - and the Balinese are devoted to them - Wayang performances are much more than simply “plays.” Performed at temple festivals and life-cycle rituals, they are serious business, offerings to the gods and education for the people. Telling tales from the ancient Indic epics of the Mahabarata and the Ramayana, they transmit important lessons about religious belief and worldly conduct. Dalangs are masters of a highly complex and difficult set of skills and knowledge. They must be fluent in the ancient Kawi language in which the stories are written, and in all levels of Balinese speech. A famous dalang studies years to master his craft, and must undergo special rituals to purify him and make him strong enough to wield the magical forces that are evoked by a performance. Because they direct and channel the unseen world, dalang are rumored to die young, their powers spent or attacked by black magic.

Arja is sometimes translated as “Balinese Opera,” owing to its singing style and melodramatic plot lines, telling stories of star-crossed lovers and of the romance and tragedy of royal life. But one does not have to be a fan of Western-style opera to appreciate these spectacular performances, where players in elaborate traditional costumes sing, dance and clown about to entertain their devoted audiences.

Drama Gong is another highly popular Balinese dramatic form. Invented in the 1960s, its emphasis is upon acting - or even overacting - with the players putting on impassioned performances portraying the whole range of human emotions, from sorrowful weeping to side-splitting laughter. Drama Gong, unlike many other forms of Baliense drama, is presented in the language of everyday life, earning it a faithful group of Balinese fans, who eagerly await performances in their villages and crowd around the television set for its weekly broadcast.