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A dramatic clash

Indonesian dance
Last Updated 09 January 2016, 18:38 IST

Colourful costumes; enormous and elaborate masks made with wood, leather, hair and mirrors; ornate jewellery; melodious music and plenty of drama — these features make the Barong dance of Indonesia a spectacle.

Though the Barong dance is one of the hundreds of dance forms that you’ll encounter in the art-rich country, it is regarded as one of the most popular forms by tourists. Given that there are over 700 ethnic groups in the country and each group has its own dance traditions, there are around 3,000 varieties of Indonesian dances!

Many of these dances employ narratives. And many of these stories are about the universal subject — the fight between good and evil. In fact, several dance forms in Indonesian Hindu-majority provinces draw on the Mahabharata and Ramayana for themes.

In a typical Barong dance, Barong is a mythological animal that represents good spirit, or is a protector of good battles; and Rangda is a mythological monster that represents evil. Though the character of Barong is generally a lion-like creature, in some traditions (in other islands) he takes the form of a boar, tiger, dragon or serpent. Masked performances are another feature of the dance. 

In tune with scenes

A large open-air arena with stadium-type seating and steep steps hosts these shows. And the first thing one notices about the dance is the live music. A band of musicians with both stringed and percussion instruments line the left side of the stage and then the musicians sit on the floor.  Indonesian music generally features a gamelan, a traditional ensemble of flutes, gongs, bronze metallophones or tuned metal bars that are struck to produce a sound; and drums that resemble the Indian mridangam.

The members of the orchestra provide a lively accompaniment throughout the show. The nature of the music reflects the mood of the scenes. So, the music is loud and fiery during the battle scenes and the introduction of the evil forces; melancholic-sounding during the sad scenes; playful and light during the comic interludes. But it is in perfect rhythm throughout. The musicians are evidently well-trained and talented. While the dances feature both male and female actors, the musicians are almost always all male.

The performance I watch is fast-paced, marked by fiery fights. There are few dramatic pauses and pensive moments. One group of the audience, mostly natives, responds to a few risque jokes with laughter. But there are some scenes in which the actions and music convey everything.

The drama begins with some prayers and rituals and then Barong makes a grand entry. He is accompanied by playful monkeys in the initial scenes.

Good vs evil

The story that I gather from the collective wisdom of my handout in English (and the homework I have done) and the tidbits of information form our guide is this... In the 10th century, there was a king named Erlangga who ruled Bali. His mother, Rangda, was condemned by her husband (Erlangga’s father) because she practised black magic. After her husband died, the wicked Rangda wanted to destroy Erlangga. For this purpose, she summoned all the evil spirits in the jungle and harnessed their energies to form an army against the king. A battle followed. The might of her black magic was too much to face for Erlangga, and after putting up a valiant but losing fight, he sought Barong’s help.

Another violent fight ensued in which Rangda used her black magic to trick Erlangga’s soldiers to kill themselves by piercing the keris (poisoned weapons) into their own stomachs and chests. But this time, Barong reacted with his own spell that made the warriors’ bodies resistant to the keris. Barong won the battle, and Rangda ran away. Good triumphs evil.

With permission, after the performance, one may get a closer look at the musical instruments onstage and the artistes’ costumes backstage. However, one has to understand and respect the sacred nature of these props and accessories. I am informed that the masks are considered as sacred items and sanctified with holy water by the priests. Offerings are made to them before they are used in a performance.

I stand at an appropriate distance from the musical instruments, masks and props to observe them. I then ask the friendly artistes a few questions, and they are forthcoming about answering them with the help of an interpreter. They have been trained for years before they began performing. Some of them have other vocations. But they all speak of the great joy in performing this art. They consider themselves privileged to perform this sacred dance form and respect it as a precious part of their heritage.

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(Published 09 January 2016, 15:54 IST)

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