The Miracle of Bali is aBBC series of culturaldocumentaries narrated byDavid Attenborough and first shown in 1969. The series comprises three programs about the culture ofBali. The complete series is available as a special feature on the DVD release of David Attenborough's 1975 seriesThe Tribal Eye.[1]
The first episode is a general introduction to Bali, its people and their varied arts, with the main focus onPeliatan village, its orchestra and dancers. It focuses first on thegamelan orchestra, before turning to the influence thatWalter Spies has had on the younger generation of painters. It concludes with the training of new pre-pubertyLegong dancers and their first performance.
This episode covers the animistic rituals and festivals of Bali, officiallyHindu, but with origins in ancient ceremonials practised long before Hinduism came to the island. It opens with the spirit possession of children, said to be the origin of theLegong dance; it continues with possession by pigs, horses and even pots; and concludes with the all-importantBarong ritual. This episode includes historical footage of the 1963 eruption ofMount Agung.
This episode is about music and dancing from the Balinese village ofPeliatan, the separate items linked by an appropriately illustrative detail from Balinese paintings. It opens with a virtuoso instrumental from thegamelan orchestra; next is a dance choreographed in 1951, The Bee Sips Honey; the 3rd section presents snippets from 4 different ensembles; and it closes with the unforgettableMonkey Dance.
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