BALINESE DANCES

1. Kupu-Kupu Carum

This dance evolved from the Legong dance, which was in turn derived from the Sanghyang Dedari ritual. The story, taken from an episode of the Mahabharata, tells of Abimanyu’s trials on his way to get Aya Wang Gani, a kris with strong magical powers. The Kupu-Kupu Carum was created in 1932, and abandoned after a few years, for no apparent reason. The dance briefly reappeared in the Balinese dance repertory some 50 years ago, and was again forgotten. Under the leadership of Nagasari, this beautiful dance was recently resurrected, and is being presented exclusively in private performances.

2. Barong

Barong And Kris Dance
The Barong dance is a delightful mixture of pantomime, drama, and dance, accompanied by marvelous music. It relates the story of the endless fight between good and evil, reprenseted by the fearsome magical lion, the Barong, the hideous witch Rangda, and their respective followers. Add to these a pair of dancing girls, many clowns, a monkey to taunt the Barong, and a king and his servant, and you have quite a performance.

3. Legong

Legong Kraton
The classical legong Kraton dance, by far the most exquisite of all the Balinese dances, was in times past performed only for the king’s entertainment. It is danced by three young girls dressed in magnificent gold brocades and flowered headdresses. The story is that of a princess, Rangkesari, whom the King of Lasem has abducted. The dance tells only a fragment of the story, namely the departure of the King to battle Rangkesari’s brother who has come to deliver her.

4. Kecak

The Kecak or Monkey Dance features a chorus of up to 150 men, sitting in concentric circles around a large oil lamp and chanting the syncopated, “chak-chak-chak,” like a band of chattering monkeys. Up to seven different rhytms are interwoven, creating a tapestry of sound similar to that of a gamelan. It tells the story taken from the Hindu epic, the Ramayana, of how an army of monkeys came to the aid of Prince Rama to defeat the evil King Rawana who had kidnapped Princess Sita.