Kecak Dance

We had the chance to see some different kinds of Balinese dances and music. Out of all we saw, our favorite was the Kecak dance. It is considered to be one of the most stunning of all of their dances. I’ll start with a little background on this dance (at least the tiny bit I know about).
They have up to around one hundred men in this dance, men, young and old, who all live within the temple area. They wear only a sarong (a wrapped cloth like a skirt) and act as the living backdrop for the performance. The most amazing thing about it is the way they totally work in unison! They chant throughout the performance in a syncopated rhythm – it’s a kind of “chak-chak” sound they make (you’d really have to hear it). Now, add to this the choreography for the dance. They sit in a circle around the “stage” where the story is acted out. They move totally together, coordinating the movements of the upper body, heads, arms, position held, swaying back and forth. It’s amazing to watch…and even more so when you realize these men are volunteering to do it. They practice evenings to get the chant and movements down perfectly. They truly worked as one – as I watched I never saw the startled movement of someone catching up or realizing they turned the wrong way – they were in perfect synch! It was the most stunning part of the entire performance.
In the center of the circle, a fraction of the story of the Ramayana is acted out. It’s a Hindu story about Prince Ramayana and the endless struggle of good vs evil with many gods appearing to influence the humans in different ways. It’s well done and easy to follow but I honestly was most amazed at the men’s performance!