Kecak Dance: What is It About and Where You Can Watch It — One of the most prominent when it comes to the cultural aspect of Bali is their Fire Dance or commonly known as Tari Kecak. You’ll know a Kecak dance is being held by their hypnotizing “Cak! Cak! Cak!” chant as the backdrop is the sun setting from the sky.
Have you ever wondered what’s the story the Fire Dance is trying to convey? What’s the history behind it? In this article, we’re going to discuss everything about the island’s Fire Dance.
History
The dance was created by a Balinese Dancer, Wayan Limbak, and a German painter, Walter Spies, who draws inspiration from Bali’s ancient ritual called Sanghyang, a ritual as a form of exorcism or repelling evil spirits in which the dancers fell into a trance. The Kecak Dance is a performance of the ritual in a much more dramatic way while incorporating the epic Ramayana saga.
Instruments and the performances
Bali’s Fire Dance doesn’t use any musical instruments, it heavily relies on the chanting of “Cak! Cak! Cak!” by the men who are performing the dance. Depending on the size of the performance, the most common Tari Kecak consists of 50 to 60 men. Other than the character performers, these men are usually bare-chested and wearing Balinese sarongs.
Epic of Ramayana
The Ramayana Saga tells of Rama, whose wife, Sita (Shinta), is kidnapped by the giant Rahwana when they and Rama’s brother, Lakshmana, are wandering into the woods. In order to save Shinta, Rama asked Lakshmana for help in getting in touch with his friend, the King of the Monkey Kingdom, Sugriwa.
Sugriwa sends his white monkey commander, known as Hanoman (Hanuman), to rescue Shita however he was captured by Rahwana. The giant tied Hanoman and create a fire surrounding the commander in an attempt to burn Hanoman alive. This is where the iconic Fire Dance came from, as Hanuman isn’t easily defeated and thus, a battle between Hanuman and his troops and Rahwana commenced. Eventually, Rama, Sugriwa, and Hanoman manage to defeat Rahwana once and for all.
Locations
Bali’s Fire Dance is performed in a lot of locations in Bali. Though the most famous and the best place to watch the Fire Dance is at the Uluwatu Temple, which has a daily performance of it when the sun starts to sets. Other than Uluwatu Temple, you can also check out the Kecak Dance at Tanah Lot, GWK Cultural Park, Pura Dalem Ubud, Batubulan, Umadewi Stage, and more.
Discover more about Bali or Indonesia through our articles here! Plan your trip to Bali now if you want to witness the epic tale of Ramayana through Bali’s Fire Dance now, as it’s much more epic if you watch it live from where they perform it!
