Kecak and Fire Dances

Kecak
Perhaps one of the best known of the many Balinese dances. It is also unusual in that it isn't accompanied by Gamelan. Instead, the background is provided by a chanting 'choir' of men who provide the 'chak-a-chak-a-chak' noise. It's performed by a large group of chanting men, sitting in a circle, waving their arms and swaying to and fro, in times with the chant.

The dance is deeply rooted in local tradition and Indian mythology and is inspired by Ramayana, an epic poem written in Sanskrit. It brings to life the tale of King Rama & his wife, Dewi Sita.

The performance generally lasts one hour and takes place in the evening, around 7pm.

The trance dances - Sanghyang Dedari & Sanghyang Jaran
The sanghyang is a divine force that enters the bodies of the entranced dancers. The two common dances are Sanghyang Dedari & Sanghyang Jaran.

Sanghyang Dedari is performed by 2 pre-pubescent girls. The girls are supposedly untrained and can keep in perfect time with each other, even though their eyes are firmly shut.

Meanwhile, Sanghyang Jaran is performed by an entranced boy, riding a coconut palm hobby horse....something similar to Malaysian's Kuda Kepang. The boy would dance around and through the fire.

In both dances, a priest is always on hand to help bring the dancers out of their trance state at the end of the performance.