O Lord, forgive your humble servant
O Lord, Whose illuminated radiance is most wonderful
Who rules over the universe and the welfare of all created beings,
Your servant is most humble.
Please O Lord, give us guidance,
You, who are the only loving and merciful God.
Some Aspects of Ceremonial Dances
Dance in bali is not purely for entertainment, but primarily of religios significance. The words of Susanne Langer, an Anthropologist, in her book "Problems of Art" sum up the importance of Dance to the Balinese: "In a world perceived as a realm of mystic powers the first created Image, is the Dynamic Image, the first objectification of Human Nature, the first True Art, is Dance".
Dance in Bali can be classified as follows:
Religious sacred dance, The tari Wali
Ceremonial dances, The tari Bebali
The newly created secular dances, The tari Balih-Balihan.
The Sacred dances are performed in the Temples during Odalan festivals, and do not follow a story line, but they are part of the ritual act. Sacred dances include the Sanghyang Trance dances, the Rejang, Offering dances, the Baris Gede or Baris Upacara. These Dances can only be performed as an act of Devotion. Sanghyang dances are rare now, but some villages where they are still performed are in Kintamani, Pliatan, Banjar Bun in Denpasar, Bone, Bedahulu. There are many forms of Trance dances, and amongst these are the Sanghyang Dedari, where dancers are possessed by the spirit of heavenly Nymphs and the Sanghyang jaran and Sanghyang Bangkung, where spirits of wild animals enter the dancers. One trance dance seldom performed is the Sanghyang Sampat, the trance dance of the Broom. These trance dances are usually performed to purge a village of evil and disease.The Rejang dance can be seen at every Temple festival, where older women and young girls carry symbols of the offerings to the Bhataras and perform asimple dance in front of the shrines. The Baris Gede now also rare is performed in certain villages as in the Sacred Temple of Batur and in Sanur. Young men perform these warrior dances carrying several kinds of weapons and thus symbolize the guardianship of the Temples. Ceremonial dancers or Tari Bebali are performed not only in the temples, but also in the Puris or Palaces to lend color and excitement at Festival time and these dances usully illustrate well-known stories of ancient time. An example of ceremonial dance is the Gambuh dance, a classical dance composition of Panji tales, which date from the Hindu period in East-Java. The Gambuh dance however is now only performed in the district of Gianyar, in the village of Batuan and in a village Pedungan near Denpasar.
Another example of Ceremonial dance is The Parwa dance , which depicts tales from the Mahabharata Hindu Epic. The Wayang Wong Ramayana enacts out stories from the other popular Hindu Epic the Ramayana, which can only be seen in Tejakula in the north region of Bali and at temple festival in Mas and Bualu south of Denpasar. There are now plans to revive the interest in the old classical dances is the Calonarang dance drama, which depicts the wrath of the widow or Rangda from Girah, when she learns that her daughter Ratna Mengali is rebuffed by King Airlangga, because of the balck magic practices of the women. Rangda causes famine and diseases amongst the people of Airlangga, which can only be exorcised by the holiness of the ascetic Empu Baradah.
It is also interesting to note that amongst the Ceremonial dances is the Dance drama of Cupak-Grantang, which tells the tale of the two brothers one of whom is greedy and avaricious and the other handsome and good.
Always to be seen at important Ceremonies such as weddings, tooth filings, temple festivals are the Wayang Kulit, the leather puppet shows. These are performed often at night when the mystic significance of the tales enacted are heightened by the fact that the puppets are illminated from behind a white screen and are presented as shadows to the audience.
These can also be seen at day time, where one sees the action of the intricately carved leatherpuppets staged along a simple piece of string. These day-time forms of puppet show are called wayang Lemah (wayang Gedoggan).
Adaptasions of tales from Balinese history are performed by masked dancers and this style of dance is known as the Topeng. This is a popular form of entertainment found mostly in the everwhere in Bali.
The famous Legong Kraton, the dance story of an old tragic legend performed only by very young girls, is another form of popular dance at temple festivals and religious ceremonies.
Other popular forms of entertaiment which give gaity and color at temple festivals are the Arja dance drama, the Prembon,the Drama Gong allof which are story dramas for enjoyment of the people. Thus different forms of dance are an integrated part of religios ceremonies and village life in general, including even secular dance performces staged for enjoyment only.
Special thanks..DR.R.Moerdowo
