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Panyembrama Dance
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Panyembrama is a Balinese welcome dance. First performed at the Pandaan Festival in 1971, the Panyembrama Dance is performed as the opening dance of religious ceremonies in temples, it is also a favourite dance for tourists in many hotels as a welcome to Bali.
After spending many years learning Balinese dance and traditional instruments, I Wayan Berata made a composition for a new dance called Panyembrama, 1963. The name of the dance comes from the Balinese word for welcome.
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The dance is performed by two or more female dancers wrapped in Tapih (layers of cloth), kamben (sarong), and belt (a long cloth which bandages the body from waist till chest). These are colorful traditional Balinese fabrics which are adorned with golden motifs called prada. The dancer's hair is decorated with frangipani and gold flowers, signifying angels floating down from the sky.
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In the Panyembrama dance, the dancers' movements follow vibrant gamelan music. They enter the stage slowly. Their smiles on their vividly made up faces. Their wide eyes look more spectacular and mysterious with a touch of vivid black eyeliner. Their slow steps emphasize their exotic curvaceous bodies. According to the creator, all the routines in the Panyembrama dance are the combination of basic routines of Balinese dance such as Legong Keraton and Condong. Although this dance has no story to tell , it is still very attractive since the classic moves and smile of the dancers create a charming nuance.
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Roses, frangipani, and other flowers play an important role in this dance. The dancers carry a bokor, an engraved bowl made from silver or aluminum, laden with flowers. There are two unique routines in this dance. The first one is when the dancers bend to their knees and make a gesture as if they are praying in Balinese Hindu way.
Actually this routine is designed to ask for blessing from God so the dancer may perform perfectly and the audience will be charmed by the dance.
The second routine is when all the dancers make a round movement and scatter the flowers over the guests as an expression of welcome.
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Pendet Dance
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Originally the Pendet dance was sacred temple dance symbolizing a welcoming of the gods to earth. This type of sacred dance is called wali dance (Balinese dance performed exclusively for the purpose of religious ceremony). This dance is similar to ritual dances in India.
According to mythology, the wali dances were created by Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva, known for its cosmic dance, namely Shiva Nata Raja (Lord Shiva as the world plays with a powerful mudra movement unseen). Every movement of his hand and body (mudra), has a specific meaning and also strength, so this dance not only shows the beauty of form or dress, but has the power of sekala (scale) and niskala (timeless).
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To increase the sekala and niskala power of the dance, bantens (offerings, called Pasupati for dancers and dance accessories) are performed. The reason for the offerings and tetabuhan (traditional music) is to appease the evil spirits, bhuta kala giraha and bhuta kala kapiragan so they don't disturb the ceremony and dance. This ritual also helps the dancers to be guided by the will of Ida Bethara. So the dancer's movements are not entirely derived from themselves, but partly inspired by the movement created by Ida Bethara.
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Pendet is the oldest of these dances in Bali. This dance was created in 1950. This dance has a movement pattern that is more dynamic than Rejang dance which is performed in groups or pairs. Pendet is usually displayed after Rejang Dance at the temple yard and turned to the sacred (pelinggih). Dancers dressed in ceremonial clothing and bring sangku, jars, bowls, or other offerings equipment. Pendet be danced by all people, men and women, adults and girls.
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Cendrawasih Bird Dance
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Cendrawasih, a dance emulating the movements of birds of paradise ( name in Indonesia for birds of paradise in the genus Paradisaea Cenderawasih )
The Cendrawasih dance was coreographed to preserve and protect rare birds from extinction. This dance also shows the liveliness of the cendrawasih bird eager to play, chasing, in its habitat.
The Cendrawasih dance was created in 1987 by N.L.N. Swasthi Bandem Wijaya, Although it follows the basic Balinese movements, the choreographer and fashion designer of the dance, adapted several steps according to her interpretation in an attempt to find new forms of dance movement.
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Panji Semirang
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The Panji Semirang Dance is a classical Balinese dance based on the Panji cycle of stories from Java.. This dance tells a story about a princess, named Galuh Candrakiranan who tried to find her lost fiancé named Panji Inu Kertapati in a battle field. In order to find him, she had to disguise herself as a knight and went to the battle. The movements represented her courage during the battle., This dance was created in 1942 by I Nyoman Kaler., more information...
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Sekar Jagat Dance
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This dance is also a special welcome dance, created by Mrs. Swasti Wijaya Bandem, especially to be performed for official overseas guests. The Sekar Jagat dance is used as an opening dance at many occasions when attended by governmental officials.
Sekar means flower, and Jagat means the world. Sekar Jagat means beautiful flowers adorn the world giving beautiful color to the world. This Sekar jagat dance is usually performed by five dancers, hwever, sometimes performed by three dancers as long as number is uneven. Mrs. Swasti Wijaya Bandem whot choreographed this dance was very shrewd with systematic movement composition, balanced between left and right movement.
The Dance composition formed in a circle is very beautiful if seen from above. Dancers costumes are colorful make it more interesting, along with the headdress from gold flower making the dancer look elegant and luxurious. Like as other welcoming dances, the Sekar jagat dance, uses a basket of beautiful flowers, combined with hand movements gives life to the flowers. Tapih( female sarong) and kamben( the material wrapped around the chest) are still used, kamben is a unique feature fabric of Bali. The Belt used on mostly classic dances has been modified become an instant angkin ( wrap around the waist). Luxurious accessories such as bracelets, badong and pending makes it more elegant and luxurious.
Balinese dance progresses in the modern era, Sekar jagat dance is a new creation dance created to add knowledge through dance.
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Balinese Legong Dance
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Legong is a Wali dance (sacred dance) form of Balinese dance. It is a refined dance form characterized by intricate finger movements, complicated footwork, and expressive gestures and facial expressions. The Music is traditionally performed by the Semara Pegulingan gamelan.
Legong probably originated in the 19th century as royal entertainment. Legend has it that a prince of Sukwati fell ill and had a vivid dream in which two maidens danced to gamelan music. When he recovered, he arranged for such dances to be performed in reality. Others believe that the Legong originated with the sanghyang dedari, a ceremony involving voluntary possession of two little girls by beneficent spirits. Legong is also danced at public festivals. Excerpts from Legong dance dramas are put on for tourists.
Legong Kraton performance in Ubud depicting The king and the princess bid farewell to each other.
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Legong dancers are always girls who have not yet reached puberty. They begin rigorous training at about the age of five. These dancers are regarded highly in the society and usually become wives of royal personages or wealthy merchants
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Classical Legong enacts several traditional stories taken from the history of East Java in the 12th and 13th century. The most common is the tale of the King of Lasem from the Malat (legong Lasem or Kraton), a collection of heroic romances. He is at war with another king, the father (or brother) of Princess Ranjasari. Lasem wants to marry the girl, but she detests him and tries to run away. Becoming lost in the forest, she is captured by Lasem, The King of Lasem attempts to woo Rangkesari but she refuses his advances because she is already engaged to Prince Panji. Rangkesari's brother, the Prince of Daha, learns of her captivity and threatens to declare war unless she is set free. Rangkesari pleads with the king to set her free so that war may be averted but the king preferred to fight. On his way to battle, he meets a bird of omen that predicts his death. The bird's prediction came true and the king dies in battle.
The dramatics are enacted in elaborate and stylized pantomime. The two little actresses are accompanied by a third dancer called a tjondong or attendant. She sets the scene, presents the dancers with their fans and later plays the part of the raven.
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