Kecak Dance in Bali

         Kecak Dance is a traditional art of a kind of dance drama that is typical of Bali. The dance illustrates the story of wayang, especially the Ramayana story which is shown by the art of motion and dance. This Kecak Dance is one of the most famous traditional arts in Bali. Aside from being a cultural heritage, this Kecak Dance is also one of the attractions of tourists who come there.

          According to historical sources, the Kecak Dance was created in 1930 by a Balinese artist named Wayan Limbak and Walter Spies, a painter from Germany. This dance is inspired by the sanghyang ritual and parts of the Ramayana story. Sanghyang ritual itself is a dance tradition where the dancer is in a state of unconsciousness and communicating with God or the spirits of the ancestors then conveying his hopes to the community. The name Kecak Dance itself is taken from the word "cak..cak..cak" which is often shouted by the members who surround the dancers, so this dance is known as the Kecak Dance.

          In the performance, the dance begins with burning incense, then the entourage enters the stage while echoing the word "cak..cak .. cak". Then they formed a circular line, which was used in the middle to dance. In this Kecak Dance performance the dancers play plays in the Ramayana story, such as Rama, Shinta, Rahwana, and other figures. The movement in this dance is not too fixated on the grip, so the dancer is more flexible in moving and focusing on the storyline. Sometimes there are also some funny scenes that the dancers demonstrate. Besides that, some attractive scenes are also displayed such as fire games and other attractions. this is what makes the Kecak Dance have a sacred yet entertaining impression.

         This Kecak dance is one of the most unique dance drama arts. Unlike the art in general, in the Kecak Dance performances do not use any musical instruments. This Kecak dance is only accompanied by the voices of the members surrounding the dancers and the rattling sounds tied to the feet of the dancers. For members of the voice accompaniment usually consists of 50 people or more. The accompanying members also consisted of members in charge as tone organizers, solo singers, and masterminds who arranged the course of the story.

         In the show the dancer uses costumes according to the play she plays. This costume is almost the same as Wayang Wong, but in a Balinese style. While the attendants usually only use black pants and black and white plaid patterned fabrics. In addition, some accessories such as flowers are tucked in one of their ears.