Balinese dances have become popular worldwide. To discover the secrets behind this recent success, Andre Syahreza visited Printing Mas, one of the well-known Balinese dancing art studios in Bali.

"What wonderful movements!" exclaimed one of the European guests while watching a Legong Keraton dance performance in a hotel. It was the first time this tourist had come to Bali, and it was the first time, too, that he had seen such a dance. On his arrival back to his home country, he would probably tell a number of friends about the graceful movements of the Legong Keraton dancers.

How has it become possible for these performances to be offered at an International level? Who are the dancers, and how have they learned to dance? Are there still many dances with the same beauty and complexity as the Legong Keraton dance?

The answers to such questions would be of interest to tourists who would like to know more about the story behind the successful staging of Balinese dances. Any enquirer will soon discover, however, that the essential key to entering the world of the Balinese dance has been the establishment of dancing art studios. One of these studios, one that has already been very successful in producing professional dancers, is the Printing Mas studio.

Dancing With Bones
An important function was once held in Bali by orthopaedists. They contacted Printing Mas dance studio to request the performance of a dance that would conform with the theme of the event, which was to do with orthopaedic surgery. The crew at Printing Mas studio was immediately thrown into complete disarray, but eventually they came up with a new dance concept that included skin and bones. When the dance was performed, the orthopaedists responded with enthusiastic applause. This has been the spirit that has driven the wonderful creative projects of Printing Mas studio.

As a result of that event, the "bones" dance officially entered the dance inventory at the studio. This dance has been categorised as a "new creation" dance. Unlike the traditional dances, the new creation dances are more flexible and are permitted to break the basic rules of dancing. However, a new creation dance still maintains a Balinese flavour through its movements and the accompanying costumes. New creation dances are actually more popular with local communities, while traditional and more classical dances seem to hold more charm for tourists.

Bali now boasts numerous traditional dances. These dances are often performed both at home and in other countries. But despite this broad exposure, there are still many dances that are not as well known internationally. In fact, the number of traditional dances that are not yet known at all, even by the Balinese, is quite significant. These unknown traditional dances generally only come to life in the inland villages of Bali.

next page >

above :
1. A Legong Keraton Dancer, one of the most popular Balinese dances.
2. A scene from the Tenun Dance

[top]
[welcome page]

copyright © 1999 Bali Echo. All rights Reserved
site design by : Access Bali Online