Balinese Dance, Drama and Music: A guide to the Performing Arts of Bali
by I Wayan Dibia and Rucina Ballinger, Illustrations by Barbara Anello
Bali has long been known for its deep spirituality and extraordinary artistic heritage. The dancers, dramas, puppetry and music of Bali are more than icons for the island; they are part and parcel of life as expressions of devotion to the gods, as entertainment, and as a way of instilling cultural values on each generation.
This comprehensive book on the Balinese performing arts explains in easy terms for the novice and with enough depth for the researcher, the cultural and historical background of a myriad of traditional and contemporary dance-drama forms, the island’s ancient form of shadow puppetry and the celebrated temple orchestra, the Balinese gamelan.
Accompanied by over 200 photographs and specially prepared water colors and ink drawings, this book is a lavishly illustrated introduction to the most commonly seen forms of traditional performing arts in Bali: gamelan music, dance, drama and puppetry. Ideal reading for visitors to the island as well as for anyone interested in Balinese culture, the book presents the history and function of each type of performance with illustrations and photographs to aid the identification.
Introductory sections discuss the way performing arts are learned in Bali and the principal Balinese values that are passed on in these forms, as well as some of the basic religious and cultural tenets that are expressed in the arts and the functions of the forms themselves.
Individual sections describe the following forms of performances: Gamelan Gong Kebyar, Gambuh, Legong Keraton, Baris, Wayang Kulit and the new phenomenon of children’s and women’s performing groups, the evolution of each and the place it has in the culture of Bali.
With a unique list of current performances in the Gianyar area and further enhanced with a select bibliography and discography, this book is a welcome addition to the field of performing arts from which the reader is able to get a feel for Balinese arts in their cultural context.
Balinese Dance, Drama and Music: A Guide to the Performing Arts of Bali by I Wayan Dibia and Rucina Ballinger, Illustrations by Barbara Anello, Periplus Editions (www.periplus.com <http://www.periplus.com/>) 2004, ISBN 962-593-195-3, 112 pages, musical chronology, list of resources, glossary, bibliography and discography.
Available for Rp. 235,000 at Periplus Bookshops in the Bali Galleria and in the Matahari in Kuta, Warung Made in Seminyak, Ngurah Rai Airport (both international and domestic terminals), in Gramedia Bookstores, and in Ary’s, Ganesha and Periplus bookshops of Ubud.
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