DANCING
Balinese
dance will probably be the most impressive sight you'll see and remember
on Bali. With over 1,000 troupes on the island, dance is at the very
center of Balinese life. On Java, dance is the prerogative of the
courts, but on Bali it's most prevalent in the villages. The Balinese
consider Javanese dancing boring, while the Javanese think Balinese
dancing noisy and vulgar. Dancers on Bali perform for the pleasure of
the gods, prestige, and the entertainment of friends and family.
MUSIC
Enormously
loved and embraced by the people. The sounds of echoing xylophones,
drums, and clashing cymbals are heard all hours of the day and night.
Bathers sing in the rivers, rattles clack in the fields, looms tingle
with bells, kites vibrate in the wind, mouth harps imitate a frog's
breeding chorus, little boys walk along lanes mimicking gongs, and
flocks of pigeons circle overhead with whistles attached to their feet.
Some
of the finest gamelan are produced on Bali and can cost up to Rp 60
million. Every village has its own orchestra, given such names as Sea of
Honey or Snapping Crocodiles. All musicians are unpaid amateurs. Anyone
may play - a musician might hand over his gendang to a spectator during
a performance.
The
Balinese gamelan is played more vigorously and passionately than the
slower, more haunting Javanese variety. The Balinese like their music
electrifying and loud with sharp changes in tempo and volume. Similar
instruments are tuned slightly out of pitch with each other to make the
sound shimmer. It's a perfect music for spells and animist rites. Old
men play flutes in the background, dogs prance across the dance floor,
infants suckle, children play - the musicians oblivious to it all. Many
village orchestras rehearse in the evenings, when entry is free.