Instead of burning to crisp, the white monkey warrior remains unharmed and breaks out only to burn Rahwana’s palace instead. Sugriwa sends his commander the white monkey, by the name of Hanoman, to check on Shinta in Rahwana’s Palace.Ī dramatic scene is portrayed when Hanoman is captured by Rahwana’s troops and put inside a circle of fire to burn him alive. Rama then seeks help and sends Lakhsmana to find his friend Sugriwa, the King of the Monkey Kingdom. There, the giant Rahwana kidnaps Shinta and holds her in his palace. The storyline starts when Prince Rama wanders into the woods with his wife Shinta and brother Lakshmana. The performance relates the shorter version of the epic Ramayana Saga with dancers playing as Rama, Shinta (Sita), Lakshmana, Rahwana (Ravana), Hanoman (Hanuman), Sugriwa (Sugriva), and other characters. The effect, after a while, is to provide a wall of dramatic sound against which the action of the play is enacted. This amazing human voiced orchestra is led by a soloist, who is in charge of indicating the high and low notes, and also acts as narrator. Instead of the traditional “gamelan” orchestra which usually accompanies other Balinese traditional performances, the Kecak is simply accompanied by the chanting of the chorus of men representing an army of monkeys continuously intoning “Cak! Cak! Cak!” or “Keh-Chak" in polyrhythmic sounds during almost the entire performance. The focus is entirely on the concentric circles of about 50-60 men, bare-chested, wearing only distinct Balinese sarongs sitting cross-legged around a set of torches in the center. What makes this dance particularly unique is that the drama uses no artificial backdrop, involving no musical instrument. Starting at dusk, the story continues into the dark, when only light comes only from flickering bamboo torches. ![]() Held in the open air at sunset, usually above a cliff facing the sea, the drama depends entirely on the natural light of day. Aside from Barong and Janger Dances, another dazzling performance you definitely don’t want to miss is the traditional Kecak Dance, one of Balinese artistic masterpieces in the form of a dance and musical drama. Again, allow the music to dictate your motions and expressions.A visit to the dramatic island of Bali will not be complete without watching some of the most captivating traditional performances the island has to offer. Sharp and quick movements of the arm will give the look of fluttering and flapping that will bring an equal amount of beauty to your dance. However when the music speeds up, so should the choreography. In general, large and flowing movements are ideal with slow music, so your ribbon will "float" above your body. The pace of your movements will also add an artistic feel to your routine. All twirls and tosses should be synchronized with the main rhythm of the song, and in traditional Chinese music you will usually find a very distinct melody to follow. Listening to the beat of the music is the most important part of ribbon dancing's art. Once your ribbon is attached to the dowel, you're ready to learn your dance. As a general rule, your ribbon's width should be approximately 3 inches, regardless of length. ![]() Others are as long as 12 feet, and these can be used beautifully by adults. Some are short - around 5 feet, and these are ideal for younger dancers. ![]() You can cut the ribbon to any length you like. Unlike the dowel, which can be wood, plastic or fiberglass and you won't notice much of a difference, the ribbon must be satin for the proper aerodynamics during your dance. You can get any length you want, but around 2 feet is recommended. First, get a wooden dowel from your local craft store. You can purchase your ribbons if you'd like to, but they are very simple to make. When performing such a dance, you are representing an entire culture and a history of dancers, and this is a weighty responsibility.įirst, make sure you are using the proper type of ribbon for your dance. Achieving the Art of Chinese Ribbon DanceĪnyone can get onto a community stage and twirl around a ribbon, however achieving the true art of Chinese ribbon dance takes practice, precision and perfection.
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