| Balinese dance | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Types | Traditional |
| Originating culture | Balinese |
| Three genres of traditional dance in Bali | |
|---|---|
| Country | Indonesia |
| Reference | 00617 |
| Region | Asia and the Pacific |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2015 (10th session) |
| List | Representative |
| Wali Sacred Dances (Rejang,Sanghyang Dedari,Baris Upacara),Bebali Semi sacred Dances (Topeng Sidhakarya/Topeng Pajegan,Gambuh dance drama,Wayang Wong dance drama),Balih-balihan Entertainment Dances (Legong Kraton,Joged Bumbung,Barong Ket) | |
Balinese dance (Indonesian:tarian Bali;Balinese:ᬇᬕᭂᬮᬦ᭄ᬩᬮᬶ(igélan Bali)) is an ancientdance tradition that is part of the religious and artistic expression among theBalinese people ofBali island,Indonesia. Balinese dance is dynamic, angular, and intensely expressive.[1] Balinese dancers express the stories of dance-drama through bodily gestures including gestures of fingers, hands, head, and eyes.
There is a great richness of dance forms and styles in Bali; and particularly notable are those ritualistic dance dramas which involveRangda, the witch, and the great beastBarong. Most of the dances in Bali are connected toBalinese Hindu or traditional animist and folk rituals, such as theSanghyang Dedarisacred dance that invokes benevolenthyang spirits, believed to possess the dancers in atrance state during the performance. Other Balinese dances are not linked to religious rituals and are created for certain occasions or purposes, such as theBaris orPendet welcoming dances andJoged dance, which is a social dance for entertainment.
During the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage convention from 29 November to 4 December 2015 inWindhoek, Namibia,UNESCO recognized three genres of traditional dance in Bali, Indonesia, asIntangible cultural heritage.[2] The three genres includeWali (sacred dances),Bebali (semi-sacred dances), andBalih-balihan (dances for entertainment purposes). Balinese dance has been proposed since 2011,[3] and was officially recognized in 2015.
The three genres are represented by nine dances, which describe their function and living tradition in the Balinese community, they are:[4][5]
InHinduism, dance is an accompaniment to the perpetual dissolving and reforming of the world. The creative and reproductive balance is often personified asShiva's wife,Durga, sometimes calledUma,Parvati, orKali. This has significance inBalineseHinduism since the common figure ofRangda is similar in many ways toDurga.[6]
In Bali there are various categories of dance,[7] including epic performances such as the omnipresentMahabharata[8] andRamayana.Certain ceremonies at village temples feature a special performance of a dance-drama, a battle between the mythical charactersRangda, the witch representing evil, andBarong, the lion or dragon, representing good. This type of performance was traditionally featured during outbreaks of epidemic diseases which were believed by the people to be a result of a disturbance in the balance of the 'good and bad forces', which were represented by the Rangda and the Barong. The battle usually reconciles in harmony or balance of the Rangda and the Barong, instead of a defeat of the evil.
Among the dance traditions in Bali are:
Traditionally, sacred dances can only be performed in temples. However, new choreographies have been created due to the demand from tourists. One example, Tari Sekar Jagat (Tari means dance in the Balinese language), is a relatively new choreography that has become popular. In the newer creations, choreographers have more freedom over the moves. They used new moves that were considered 'improper' for the sacred dances. For example, in Tari Sekar Jagat, there is a movement when the dancers hold the Dulang below their shoulders. This ceremonial pedestal, which may be wooden or ceramic, is normally held high following its sacredness. Below shoulder level but above the navel represents an ordinary or everyday state.[9]
Bali dancers learn the craft as children, they play Balinese music. They are taught to dance with their hands before they can walk. Official training as a Bali dancer starts as young as 7. In Balinese dance, the movement is closely associated with the rhythms produced by thegamelan, a musical ensemble specific to Java and Bali.[10] Multiple levels of articulations in the face, eyes, hands, arms, hips, and feet are coordinated to reflect layers of percussive sounds.
The number of codified hand positions and gestures, themudras,[11][12][13] is higher in India than in Java or Bali. It has been speculated that they have been forgotten as the dance was transmitted from India to Java.[14] Hand positions and gestures are nonetheless as important inJavanese and Balinese dance as in India.[15] Whether in India, Indonesia, orCambodia, hands have a typically ornamental role and emphasize the dance's delicate intricacy.
Media related toDance of Bali at Wikimedia Commons| Acehnese |      | |
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| Balinese | ||
| Banjarese | ||
| Batak | ||
| Betawi | ||
| Buginese and Makassarese | ||
| Cirebonese | ||
| Dayak | ||
| Javanese | ||
| Lampung | ||
| Malay | ||
| Minangkabau | ||
| Minahasan | ||
| Palembangese | ||
| Sasak | ||
| Sundanese | ||
| Timorese | ||
| Moluccan and Papuan | ||
 | Classical | |
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| Contemporary | ||
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