'Baris' dancers perform to please the gods<\/p>\n
I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali<\/p>\n
When the men came on stage with ferocious expressions on their
\nfaces, each of them shouldering a 2-meter-long wooden spear and
\ntheir feet thumping the stage floor in a uniform rhythm, it was
\nclear to all in the audience that they were not going be
\nentertained by a gentle and artistically-refined dance.<\/p>\n
And, indeed, in the next thirty minutes or so, the eight Baris
\nBuntal dancers gave the audience the chance to experience a
\ndifferent side of Balinese traditional dance -- the tough, no-
\nnonsense side.<\/p>\n
In Baris Buntal, the dancers do not smile. Instead, they
\nglower and growl menacingly and repeatedly. Neither do they make
\nany of the kind of eye movements that Balinese dancers are famous
\nfor. In fact, the Baris Buntal dancers only make one type of eye
\nmovement: threatening glares both at the audience and their
\nfellow dancers.<\/p>\n
Their movements can only be described as simple, basic, coarse
\nand, sometimes, swift. And, with each dancer's hands fully-
\noccupied: the right hand gripping the spear, the left hand
\nclutching a small rattan shield, making intricate hand gestures
\nis definitely out of the question.<\/p>\n
With uncomplicated choreographic compositions, the Baris
\nBuntal dancers display the ancient Balinese soldier's adeptness
\nin close quarter combat, offensive and defensive maneuvers, as
\nwell as their esprit de corps.<\/p>\n
\"Baris dances are essentially warrior dances, the on-stage
\nversion of the traditional Balinese soldier's skills and fighting
\nspirit,\" cultural observer Sugi B Lanus said.<\/p>\n
The dancers who performed the Baris Buntal dance last Monday
\nas part of the 24th Bali Art Festival were villagers from
\nPengotan, a small village in Bangli regency, some 40 kilometers
\neast of Denpasar.<\/p>\n
Pengotan is one among a handful of villages in Bali that have
\nbeen able to keep their Baris dance tradition intact and
\ncomplete.<\/p>\n
\"We have eight different kinds of Baris dances in Pengotan,
\nnamely Baris Jangkang, Baris Jojor, Baris Dadap, Baris Presi,
\nBaris Prancak, Baris Blongsong, Baris Buntal, and Baris Bajra,\"
\nthe head of the Pengotan traditional village council, I Wayan
\nBesar, said.<\/p>\n
The differences between the eight dances lie in the movements
\ninvolved, the number of dancers and the types of weapons carried
\nby the dancers.<\/p>\n
Baris Buntal, Dadap and Presi are performed by eight dancers,
\nwhile the other Baris dances are performed by 16 dancers. Presi
\nis the only Baris dance in which the dancers showcase their
\ncombat skills using the kris (a traditional dagger), while the
\nrest of the Baris dances employ various types of spears.<\/p>\n
\"All of these Baris dances are sacred to us. Thus, we only
\nperform them for religious rituals and temple festivals,\" Besar
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The eight Baris dances are performed consecutively during the
\nvillage's biggest religious ceremony, Ngusaba, which falls on the
\nfull-moon in the Sasih Karo month (mid-August until early
\nSeptember), according to the Balinese calendar.<\/p>\n
\"Usually it takes around twelve hours to complete all the
\nBaris performances during the ceremony. The dancers tend to dance
\nlonger and more passionate on this occasion as they believe they
\nare performing to please the gods,\" Besar said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/baris-dancers-perform-to-please-the-gods-1447893297",
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