A. CULTURE
The culture of Bali is unique. People say that the Balinese
people have reached self-content. It is not an exaggeration
that when a Balinese is asked what heaven is like, he
would say, just like Bali, without the worries of mundane
life. They want to live in Bali, to be cremated in Bali
when they die, and to reincarnate in Bali.
It does not mean that the Balinese resist changes. Instead, they adapt them to their own system. This goes back far in history. Prior to the arrival of Hinduism in Bali and in other parts of Indonesia, people practised animism. When Hinduism arrives, the practice of Hinduism is adapted to local practices. The brand of Hinduism practised in Bali is much different from that in India. Other aspects of life flow this way.
Traditional paintings, faithfully depicting religious and mythological symbolisms, met with Western and modern paintings, giving birth to contemporary paintings, free in its creative topics yet strongly and distinctively Balinese. Its dance, its music, and its wayang theaters , while have been continually enriched by contemporary and external artistry, are still laden with religious connotations, performed mostly to appease and to please the gods and the goddesses. Wood and stone carvings, gold and silver crafts parallel the development of paintings, gracefully evolving with external forces to enhance their characters. The batik of Bali owes its origin to Java, and inspired the development of ikat and double ikat.
It does not mean that the Balinese resist changes. Instead, they adapt them to their own system. This goes back far in history. Prior to the arrival of Hinduism in Bali and in other parts of Indonesia, people practised animism. When Hinduism arrives, the practice of Hinduism is adapted to local practices. The brand of Hinduism practised in Bali is much different from that in India. Other aspects of life flow this way.
Traditional paintings, faithfully depicting religious and mythological symbolisms, met with Western and modern paintings, giving birth to contemporary paintings, free in its creative topics yet strongly and distinctively Balinese. Its dance, its music, and its wayang theaters , while have been continually enriched by contemporary and external artistry, are still laden with religious connotations, performed mostly to appease and to please the gods and the goddesses. Wood and stone carvings, gold and silver crafts parallel the development of paintings, gracefully evolving with external forces to enhance their characters. The batik of Bali owes its origin to Java, and inspired the development of ikat and double ikat.
B. DANCES
Theater
and dance is an integral part of Balinese culture. Balinese dances are
famous all over the world and the Balinese themselves take them very seriously.
Birthdays, weddings, and temples festivals are all occasions for dramatic
performances and dance is inextricably linked with the Balinese religion.
The commercial performances for tourists that are today offered on a daily
basis in several places of Bali do, of course, not have the same religious
significance and atmosphere of a dance that is performed at a real temple
festival.
- Kecak Dance
The
Kecak is an unusual Balinese dance for a couple of reasons. First,
there is no musical accompaniment. The gamelan is not there. Rhythm
is provided by a chanting 'monkey' chorus. The polyrhythmic sound
of the chanting provides the name, 'Ke-chak'.
- Barong Dance
If black magic prevails, a village fails into
danger, and extensive purification ceremonies become necessary to
restore a proper equilibrium for the health of the community. Dramatic
art is also a mea of cleansing the village by strengthening its
resistance to harmful forces through offerings, prayers and acts
of exorcism. Such is the symbolic play of the two remarkable presences-the
Barong and Rangda. Barong, a mystical creature with a long swaybackand
curved tail, representstheaffirmative, the protector of mankind,
the glory of the high sun, and the lavorable spirits associated
with the right and.white magic.
- Kebyar Duduk
He
took the costume from Kebyar Legong, but to move in a squatting
position he had to hold up the train with one hand as he moved and
this became the hallmark of the dance. The mood of Kebyar Duduk
is determined by the music, and the dancer works in close co-ordination
with the entire gamelan to interpret its shifting colors.
- Legong Keraton
In
legends, Legong is the heavenly dance of divine nymphs. Of all classical
Balinese dances, it remains the quintessence of femininity and grace.
Girls from the age of five aspire to be selected to represent the
community as Legong dancers.
