Kecak Dance is one of Balinese Dances and music drama. This dance was first performed in 1930s and primarily performed by men. Kecak dance is mostly related about the drama musical of Ramayana Monkey Chant which performed by a circle of 150 or more performers.
Kecak dance is such an old traditional dance, but now it has been modified into some roles or models in the same concept and culture based on the Bali’s tourism demand. Since 1970s, the Kecak Dance continued to experience some changes, especially in terms of story and staging techniques.
Kecak dance which is often called "The Monkey Dance" for the tourists is a dance drama in the form of relatively new but has become a very popular show / famous and has become a must watch show for both domestic and foreign tourists. Kecak dance scenes have been promoted in several poscard, tourist guide and others.
Kecak is the name is a name that is directly taken after the sound "cak, cak" which are pronounced continuously throughout the show. There are some who explains that the word or sound "cak" actually means a very important and significant in the show.
Kecak dance origins
Not known exactly where the Kecak dance originated and which was first developed, but there is a kind of agreement on the Balinese Kecak was first developed into art pertujukan in Bona, Ganyar, as additional knowledge kecak at first is a song or musical sound produced from the fusion that form a melody that is usually used to accompany the sacred dances Sahyang. And can only be performed in the temple. Kemudaian astist in the early 1930s from the village of Bona, Gianyar trying to develop a Kecak dance by taking the story of Ramayana Dance Sanghyang didramatarikan as a substitute so that it could eventually dipertontontan dance in public as a performance art. Part Ramayana story is taken first is that when Goddess Sita was abducted by King Ravana.
Development the Kecak Dance In Bali
Kecak Dance in Bali has continued to experience changes and developments since the 1970's. Progress can be seen is in terms of story and staging. In terms of story for staging not only based on the one part of the Ramayana but also other parts of the story from the Ramayana.
Then in terms of staging also began experiencing growth not only found in one place like the village of Bona, Gianyar but also other villages in Bali started to develop so that the Kecak dance in Bali there are dozens kecak group whose members are usually members of the banjo. Activities activities such as Kecak dance festivals are also often held in Bali either by governments or even by the art school in Bali. And the largest number of dancers who had performed the Kecak dance was recorded in 1979 which involved 500 people dancing. At that time kecak staged by taking the story from the Mahabharata. But the record is broken by the Government of Tabanan regency which organizes Colossal Kecak dancers to 5000 on 29 September 2006, at Tanah Lot, Tabanan, Bali.
As a Kecak dance performance is supported by several factors which are very important, more is more in the show presents the Kecak dance as an introduction to the story, of course the music is vital to accompany lenggak swing dancers. But in the Kecak Dance music generated from voice synthesis cak members amounting to about 50-70 people all of them will make music in akapela, a leader who will act as an early tone memberika a longer acting as a suppressor which will provide low pressure or a high tone act as penembang solo, and alone again will act as ki mastermind who brought the story line. Kecak dance dancer in the movement did not properly follow the standard norms of dance accompanied by gamelan. So in this Kecak dance dancer gestures more relaxed because the main priority is the way the story and voice synthesis.
The dancers in the circle is wearing a plaid cloth like a chessboard their waist. Besides the dancers, there are also other dancers who portray the characters of Ramayana as Rama, Shinta, Ravana, Hanuman, and Sugriwa.
Kecak dance songs taken from the ritual dances sanghyang. Also, do not use musical instruments. Only used kincringan worn on the feet of dancers who portray the characters of Ramayana.
Around the 1930's Wayan Limbak worked with German painter Walter Spies to create the Kecak dance based ontradition Sanghyang and parts of the story of Ramayana . Wayan Limbak popularizing this dance while traveling the world with his troupe of Balinese dancers.