Through my eyes

living my life without regrets

Monday, July 08, 2019

Winter 2019 - 23. Kecak, Fire and Trance Dance


23.   Kecak, Fire and Trance Dance

The link tells a short story from the Ramayana; the legend of Rangda, the evil, child-eating goddess whose statue we saw at Tirta Empul (the Holy Spring Water Temple).

Here is another short blip about Barong, the king of the spirits who engages in a never-ending fight with the Demon Queen, Rangda which represents the battle between good and evil. 

Finally, a story about Bandung. There are many other legends of battles, betrayals, love and passion.
Entrance to the Pura Dalem

Our pick up was supposed to have been at 5.30 PM to go the Pura Dalem stage or temple in Ubud. Exact times in Bali are a suggestion; nobody gets bent out of shape if something is not done on time. Time is more relaxed and smiles are important. The dance performance we wanted to see started at 7.30 PM and was not that far from where we stayed, so we waited for a bit, but at 5.45 PM we started walking towards where we had to go, not sure exactly where this Pura Dalem Temple was. 
Guardians of the Temple Entrance

While walking, we decided to just take a taxi, and then we knew for sure we would get to the right place. So we agreed to a price of 30,000 Rupiah and got into the taxi. It was a winner for the taxi. He drove us down the street, to the end of our street and made a left and there we were, at the Pura Dalem Temple. Bummer, but who knew?
                          
I have difficulty writing about the performance that night. Was it a dance, or play or a show we saw that evening? The program spells out: “Kecak Ramayana and Fire Trance Dance”.
So what is Kecak, what is Ramayana?  I get the Fire dance… but after seeing the Kecak Dance display… I did not understand anything.  I loved it, though. 

Start of the Kecak Dance

Let’s start with Kecak. The word indicates a dance of chanting people who believe they are monkeys; monkeys as in the famous Hindu stories named after the hero Hanuman. (Ramayana Epic is what this long, very long story is called).  I know; I don’t know anything about these stories or this Indian Epic either. I am fairly sure neither do you. What we saw as a theme of the Dance was just a small slice of the whole Saga.

Monkey Chanting

Just know that this small encounter with the ‘heroes’ of this epic is important to Hindus, not so much to my Western mind.

But the story is not that important. I was awed by the ‘newness’ of this performance even though in Bali, this Kecak Dance is a very, very old tradition. I just never knew about it.


Check Out the "Monkey" in the Middle at the Back - Especially in the Close-Up. He Is Really Into It!


As for the Dance, the actual performance of the monkeys and the actors was very good!  Their waving arms indicate fire and wind. The words   chak….chak….  (monkey sounds) which they repeated over and over again sounded like a chant.

The Monkey General Sugriwa With His Army


They were into it!

The Mighty Bird, Garuda Arrives to Help the Good Guys


It was a wonderful insight into a culture I know nothing about.

The Evil King Is Slain By a Magic Arrow


The Fire and Trance Dance was a bit weird, though.

The Dancer walked out on stage straddling a kind of hobby horse which is associated with trances in Balinese culture. In the middle of the stage was a HUGE and very hot fire. I believe dried coconut husks were burned for the fire. Those husks burn very fast, very hot and then leave a hot ash as residue. 

Fire and Trance Dance

At the start, the chanting of the ‘monkeys’, the drums, the ‘music’ gave the whole stage a rhythmic ambiance. 

The Dancer circled the lit fire a few times and then kicking a bit, he walked through the fire. He kind of pushed the hot coals apart, spread them out using his feet, while holding on to the hobby horse.
OUCH!

Helpers with improvised ‘brooms’ pushed the hot coals back together and again the Dancer walked over the hot coals, through the coals, and pushed them apart again with his feet.

Bare Feet!
Watch This One to the End

The Dancer had nothing on his lower legs and feet, he just, like in a trance, walked through the hot burning fire.

Hmmm, no I would not do that.  I know when you watch the video I took it seems like a bit of an act, but I was right there… this man walked through fire.

At the end of his ordeal, he kind of collapsed, sat there, focused someplace in to the distance.

I Was As Glad As the Dancer That It Was Over


Was this a performance?  Was it a dance? Was it a show, a gig?  YOU need to see it, though.
His Poor Feet

It’s awesome!   

But the clincher of this night was that it was a prayer to Sanghyang; the highest deity of the Bali religion. The purpose of the Fire Dance is to protect society against evil forces and epidemics. The “trance” was more of a goal to be achieved, rather than a fact to witness. The Kecak Dance is a ritual; the Fire Dance is a ritual. This was not a play in a theater, but a sermon of believers in a temple. I was just a witness to it… yet…. Bravo to the people who showed me what their belief system is like. Bravo to the way they revere their gods. 

I highly suggest you see it once in YOUR  life time.









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