The Balinese Kecak Fire Dance
Indonesia
The Kecak Fire Dance is one of the most well-known, iconic Bali performances. At the southern peninsula, the dance occurs at Uluwatu Temple’s clifftop amphitheatre, performed at sunset overlooking the Indian Ocean. Combining dance, a choir of Kecak human chants, theatrical elements, and live fire, it is an incredibly memorable performance.
HISTORY OF THE KECAK DANCE
The Kecak Dance, an onomatopoeic title named after the chant sounds, originates from an ancient Balinese ritual of Sanghyang, combining this sacred dance with repeated chanting. It was created in the 1930s by Walter Spies, a German musician and artist, and Wayan Limbak, a Balinese dancer. The Kecak was studied and adapted to the famous Hindu story of the Ramayana, still including its original ‘cak’, and is the Balinese dance it is today. Limbak then showcased this dance worldwide, reinforcing how people saw Bali’s culture.
STORY OF RAMAYANA
The performance tells the famous ancient Indian story of Ramayana. It originates from India and has spread throughout Asia through Hindu and Buddhist teachings, becoming a cultural part of Bali since Hindu teachings came around 100 BC.
Sri Rama is the prince of the Ayodya Kingdom and is married to Princess Sita. However, he was then exiled into the forest for fourteen years by his father King Dasaratha, after a trick played by his stepmother Kaikeyi. Both his wife Sita and younger brother Laksamana joined Rama in the forest. The evil King Ravana of Lanka, otherwise known as Rahwana, loved Sita and kidnapped her. The two brothers attempted to rescue Sita but needed aid from Hanuman, the white monkey king and incarnation of Lord Shiva, and his army of monkeys to rescue her. Unfortunately, Hanuman is captured by Rahwana and is tied up surrounded by wood ready to be burned alive. The wood is then set ablaze, hence, the name “Fire Dance”. Yet, the powerful Hanuman could not be defeated that easily and used his supernatural power to release himself from the fire. The monkey king sets the castle on fire and the stage’s centre becomes very
dramatic with flames and embers. At this point, the sun is setting in the background and the sky gets darker as it reaches the end of the story and performance. Rahwana subdues and Rama and Sita are reunited. Overall, that is the summary of the complex story that is performed at the Uluwatu fire dance.
"Combining dance, a choir of Kecak human chants, theatrical elements, and live fire, it is an incredibly memorable performance"
THE PERFORMANCE
Starting at sunset, a choir of over thirty male Indonesian bare-chested dancers arrive on stage. Shaking their hands extended into the air they repeatedly chant “cak”, creating a rhythm with their voices as no instruments are used in the performance. Some say the sound resembles a group of monkeys. They sit cross-legged in a circle, surrounding the drama in the centre of the stage. This introduction is followed by the acts of the story of Ramayana, with dancers in costumes expressively performing various characters, re-enacting the story whilst the choir changes the “cak” speed to reflect the stories scenes, in some cases creating a dramatic atmosphere. The performance ends when the sun has set, the sky is dark, and the chants have slowly diminished.