'Joged' dance combines art and eroticism

'Joged' dance combines art and eroticism

By Kadek Suartaya

DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Twenty-seven beautiful dancers sway
their bodies erotically. With sensual smiles, they challenge the
audience, mostly men with their eyes wide open, to follow their
moves.

The dancers hypnotize and lure viewers while taking part in
the four-day joged (dance) competition, held here in mid-July.

Nine regencies take part in the competition and each of them
are represented by three dancers, who flirt with their eyes or
move their bodies seductively.

Several dancers try to reveal every curve of their body
through transparent kebaya (traditional attire for women), while
the shy ones simply smile or shake their hips a bit.

All the actions by the dancers are greeted with a warm
response by the audience.

In the joged competition, organized for the first time here,
each dancer can only dance with male partners twice, the first
one from their own group and the other from the audience.

In the first round, the pengibing, the dancer's partner, shows
his dancing skills and then tries to tease the dancer with his
humorous gestures.

Joged is really popular in Bali. Actually, there are several
types, but the one which still exists today is Joged Bumbung. The
dance is called Joged Bumbung because its performances are
accompanied by gamelan instruments made of bamboo, or bumbung.
Joged Bumbung can be found in almost every part of Bali, but
interestingly, each one has its own unique characteristic.

The joged show depends on participation, meaning that the
performance is held in a casual not formal atmosphere. But
sometimes things get out of control during the performance.

For instance, a dancer could encounter a partner without
manners who might touch or make advances toward her.

Joged dancers have a long history all their own.

In the 1880s, Dutch scientist Van Eck made a note about the
traditional performance. He said while witnessing the performance
at a folk party, he saw the dancers paid between five to six Bali
coins by their partners. With payment, the dancers would let
themselves be held and touched. He considered it funny when he
saw a dancer embraced and kissed by young and old men in the
darkness of the night.

And according to a report by Dutch medical expert Jacob in
1881, a Balinese king presented five joged dancers to his guests.

The five dancers were beautiful experts wearing magnificent
sarongs while letting their long hair, adorned with flowers, fall
to their waist. The performance of the five dancers -- the king's
personal collection -- was staged in dim light and accompanied by
soft tunes from gamelan instruments which gave an erotic
impression as the dancers, who were no longer virgins, studied
their audience. The beautiful dancers then approached their
guests, waiting for more intimate things they could do.

In the Balinese kingdom, joged dancers were owned by the king
and royal members. It was assumed that joged dancers were
mistresses. For instance, Joged Pingitan, was a name given to
dancers under the king's power. These dancers would be loyal and
ready to serve any of his orders, which included being
"presented" to entertain his guests.

The presence of colonialism and the fall of feudalism in Bali,
which was then followed with a ban of having mistresses, made a
cleaner image for joged with more of an emphasis on the artistic
side.

But its bad image would not vanish. Now, in modern times in
Bali, joged dancers still carry a tarnished image, although they
are no longer like they were during the feudalism era.

And through the joged competition, it is hoped that the image
can improve.

"I'm not a joged dancer, I do this only for competition," said
Ni Wayan Sukanti, 20, a student at the Indonesia Art Institute in
Denpasar. It seems that for her, the joged dance still carries a
negative image.

But Ni Putu Sti Novayani, 21, who represented Jemberana
regency, did her profession as a joged dancer proudly.

"My income is from the joged dance," said the junior high
school graduate.