Kecak Dance is one of the renowned traditional shows that we present in Bali every evening, in Batubulan, Uluwatu, Tanah Lot and in some areas in Ubud.
Kecak Dance performance is very different because this performance isn’t accompanied by a gamelan orchestra. But the music produced by a combination sound “cak cak” of members, around 50-70 people, will play in the Kecak Dance. A man acts as a conductor who sends the tone early, somebody else acts as a suppressor in charge of high or low tone, somebody else acts like a solo singer, and someone else acts as the master of the story.
The Kecak dance movement dancers should not follow the Gamelan accompanying dance movement. Thus, in Kecak dance, the dancer’s gestures are more relaxed, because storyline and sound mix are the main priority.
In addition to the Kecak Dance, a traditional Balinese dance that is also well-known by domestic and foreign tourists is the Barong Dance.
The Story of Kecak Dance
The story is a fragment of the Ramayana, the Hindu epic that is the main story on the fight between the Good and the Bad. In the past, King Dasarata had forfeited Prince Rama, heir to the throne of Ayodya’s kingdom and his wife Sita from the kingdom because of Rama’s stepmother’s trickery.
Recommended Tours:
- Bali Elephant Ride + Rafting, Kecak Fire Dance Tour
- Ocean Walker + Ubud, Kecak Dance Bali Tour
- Bali Volcano, Kecak Dance Tour
The story begins with Rama and Sita arriving in Dandaka forest accompanied by Rama’s brother Laksmana. Their appearance in the jungle was seen in the demon Rahwana, King of Alengka, who desires to know Sita’s beauty.
Rahwana is sending his Prime Minister Marica to isolate Sita to be able to be kidnapped by Rahwana. The magic of Marica makes him a Golden Deer and he enters the forest and she is so enchanted when she saw the Golden Deer that she asks Rama to take it on her behalf.
Rama is chasing after a deer, leaving his brother Laksamana to protect Sita strictly.
When Sita feels that she hears a cry from Rama for assistance, she forces Laksamana to look for Rama by accusing him of a cowardice, and after drawing a magical circle on the ground he helps Rama with great reluctance to tell Sita she should not stand out of the circle under any circumstance.
Sita, left in the forest alone, becomes an easy prey to Rahvana’s trickery who disguised himself as having an old priest and Sita bags for some food. Sita falls for his trick, goes out of the circle to give the elderly priest a bit of food and Rahwana picks up her and takes her back to his palace.
Rahwana tries everything he can to seduce Sita on his return home in Alengka. In Alengka’s Palace, when Hanoman seems to tell her that he is Rama’s envoy and shows it by showing her Rama’s ring, Sita pours out her heart on her unluckly destiny to Rahwana’s niece Trijata.
Sita gives a hairpin to Hanoman to show that she’s still alive and sends her back to Rama with a massage to rescue her.
Meanwhile, accompanied by Tualen, Rama and Laksamana wander in the forest in search of Sita when Meganada, the son of Rahwana, appears in battle and engages Rama and Laksamana. Meganada uses his magic power and shootings of an arrow magically turning into a dragon overcoming Rama and Laksamana and placing it in strings.
The bird Garuda, King of the bird, King Dasarata’s good friend, has witnessed Rama having trouble from high up into the air and coming to rescue the brothers free from the ropes.
Rama and Laksamana keep going to rescue Sita and join Sugriwa, king of the monks, and the army of his monkeys. This fragment of Ramayana comes to an end with Sugriwa’s battle with his Monkeys Army, Meganada and his Demon Army ending in the defeat of Meganada and Rahwana.
This show also combines with Sanghyang Dedari’s and Sanghyang Jaran’s trance dance which is like the show’s climax when the trances dance and roll on the fire, but it doesn’t get hurt or burn.