As the name suggests, the annual Bali Arts festival primarily
features the arts, meaning, in this context, the fine arts
of Bali (gamelan and traditional dance), other parts of Indonesia,
as well as a small contingent of overseas performers.
Gamelan music is known as ‘karawitan’ in Indonesian
and covers all types of Indonesian orchestras, ranging from
the small gender wayang duo right through to the massive 50-piece
gong gede.
Dance is ‘tari’ in Indonesian and includes many
different forms, from the sacred to the contemporary and experimental
performances by the art academies. On opening night of the
Arts Festival, a colossal ballet is performed, composed and
choreographed by the Denpasar Art Academy (ISI).
The first day of the festival opens with a grand parade starting
at the Bajra Sandhi Monument in Renon. The parade showcases
all the nine regencies of Bali, a modern performance by the
Art Academy and various other groups chosen to be either part
of the parade or to play at various locations on the side
of the closed-off road. There are always a large number of
VIPs present, including the President and the Governor of
Bali.
The festival then moves to the Arts Center in Jalan Nusa Indah
for the duration of around one month. There are performances
every day and night and the majority of them are free. The
only performances you have to pay for to watch are the gong
kebyar competitions which are held at the Ardha Candra amphitheater
at nights over the month.
This year features a record number of performances by children,
women and groups from overseas. You can also buy food, toys,
handicrafts and art-work at the festival.
If you are interested in catching the Bali Arts Festival,
there are still two weeks remaining in the current one; it
ends July 14th. Otherwise you can time your holiday for some
time in June-July – the festival is always held around
this time.
Festival programs are available at the Arts Center but the
schedule is always subject to change. See their website for
more information: www.baliartsfestival.com
Copyright@ Kulture Kid 2007
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