Balinese Dance

The performing arts in Bali is rarely removed from the context of spirituality and worship. To the Balinese, performing as part of a gamelan group, whether as a musician or dancer is a form of worship. In dance, as it is in music, almost every piece traces its origin and meaning back to the spiritual world and the past.

Perhaps Balinese dance can be roughly broken down into the following categories:

Sacred – dances only performed in the innermost section of the temple.

Classical – dances in the pelegongan and kebyar forms that have highly-stylized movements and forms.

New creations  (kreasi baru)– with the advent of the institutionalizing of the art form, contemporary works bring about new dance forms that are still strongly influenced by the basic tenets of traditional forms but find freedom in choreography, characters, story, costume, and make-up.

Dance-drama – this form demands not only expertise in the dance movements but also in the theatrical intricacies of presenting characters from religious epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Here, a dancer must also be able to project vocally, understand, and therefore become the character portrayed – this skill is called penjiwaan, where jiwa is the word for ‘soul’.

A Balinese dance performance is always visually stunning with colorful costumes, exaggerating makeup, and elaborate headdresses. But the energy of the performance truly comes from the unmistakable coordination between the dancer(s) and the musicians. Movements and stances are abstract and physically demanding, but precise to the music. A skillful dancer must know the music like his or her own heartbeat.

 

The Balinese Dance Program at Dharma Swara

Dharma Swara’s dance program was started in 2001 with the arrival of Balinese master dance artist Ida Ayu Ari Candrawati to New York. Trained in Balinese dance since childhood, Ida Ayu Ari Candrawati leads one of the few Balinese dance programs in existence in the U.S. The program consists of a full range of classes for all levels, including beginners, intermediate and advanced students.  Along with ongoing classes, Dharma Swara also teaches workshops in a variety of settings- in universities, community centers and arts institutions.

Class  & Workshop Details

Time & Place

Typically classes are on Sundays from 1 – 5 pm (beginners class is usually in the first hour and is taught workshop-style), on the second floor (street level) of the Indonesian Consulate at 5 East 68th Street (between Fifth and Madison Avenues). However, please be sure to email info@dharmaswara.org to inquire about class times prior to coming due to potential re-scheduling.

Class Attire

Wear comfortable clothing – better if you have a sarong.

Upcoming Workshops

TBA

Teaching Styles

Balinese dance is stylistically intricate and technically precise, the dance vocabulary consisting of an array of different positions called agem, sledet or eye motions, and other movements. After these basic movements are taught, many different techniques are incorporated into the teaching of dances. One way of teaching involves repetition where the teacher dances either to taped music or “singing” the music as the student follows. It is repeated several times till the student becomes familiar with the choreography and its relationship to the music. The teacher will also stand behind the student, manipulating and molding the student’s body into correct positions and movements, a very traditional way of teaching. Another technique focuses on breaking movement down and teaching choreography at a much slower pace. Music recordings and dance videos are used as supplementary learning materials. Advanced students also assist Ida Ayu Ari Candrawati in teaching class.

Taking Classes vs. Performing with Dharma Swara

Upon joining the classes, there is no expectation for the student to be part of the performing ensemble of Dharma Swara. We understand that many people are simply curious and would just like to take classes as a part time hobby.  However, it is not uncommon that those who are deemed ready and interested to perform, are invited to do so.

Dance Repertoire in Dharma Swara

Since its infancy, Dharma Swara has learned and performed some classical works such as:

Pendet Peliatan (current focus) - The pendet is a standard offering dance performed with many variations, throughout Bali. This one is of the particular peliatan style, which bears resemblance to the basic forms in the pelegongan.

Legong Kuntul (current focus) - This is a traditional work in the pelegongan style which portrays two birds, herons, playfully feeding in the rice-fields.

Legong Jobog (current focus) – This legong dance tells the story of the Subali and Sugriwa giant monkey brothers who fight over the celestial maiden Dewi Tara, uprooting trees and using them as weapons.

Legong Lasem -  This is another work in the pelegongan style telling the story of King Lasem who tries to seduce Princess Langkesari and is later paid a visit by the bird of ill omen, the garuda.

Baris - A traditional dance portraying a martial, male character.

Telek - A kind of refined, or alus masked character associated with the barong dance drama. They are usually depicted as temple guardians, and are danced by four individuals.

Teruna Jaya – Considered to be the ultimate kebyar dance, this form is essentially a radical interpretation of the legong in which a woman portrays an impetuous young man.

Kebyar Duduk – A character sketch of the energetic and flirtatious kebyar dancer, dancing in a sitting and stooping position (duduk means ‘sit’).

 

The group also learns and performs some of the more recent compositions (kreasi baru) such as:

Sekar Jagat - The choreography is influenced by the distinctive rejang temple dance of Aska village. Sekar Jagat means roughly “flower of the world” and in Balinese is a poetic reference for women.

Cenderawasih – This dance portrays the frolicking of two birds of paradise (cendrawasih) in the mating season.

Tenun  -  A dance portraying two or more women engaging in the act of weaving cloths.

Our previous two major productions both involved dance-dramas :

Ramayana dance-drama – The story of Sita’s abduction by the evil Rahwana and her rescue by Rama with the assistance of Laksamana.

Sunda Upasunda dance-drama – This dance-drama tells of the two brothers, Sunda and Upasunda, whom after having been granted with special powers by Brahma, then turn against the heavens in order to conquer it. Instead the gods present them with the temptress bidadari (angel) Tilotama in order to turn them against each other.