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Day : Everyday / Time : 6:00 pm / Venue : Uluwatu Temple

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The Uluwatu Kecak dance is a famous dance in Bali. Many tourists come to Bali to witness the uniqueness of the existing ones, starting from the Kecak dance, Barong dance, Pendet dance and others. Usually the tourists who come to Uluwatu to watch the Kecak dance and the sunset. The Uluwatu Kecak dance is held after sunset around 6 pm. Tourists who come from various countries including tourists from the archipelago. Usually, during the holiday season, tourists come in groups using Bali tour packages. With the guidance of a guide using large buses, group tourists will be guided to see tourist objects in Bali, including watching the Kecak dance at Uluwatu.

Program :

Kecak is a form of Balinese dance and music drama that developed in the 1930s in Bali. Primarily male chorus, called the Gamelan Suara, performs this dance. Also known as the Ramayana Monkey Chant, the piece, performed by a circle of 150 or more performers wearing checked cloth around their waists, percussively chanting "cak" and throwing up their arms, depicts a battle from the epic, Ramayana. These men sit in a concentric circle singing, swaying, standing and sometimes lying prone - their voices and dances tell the unfolding tale about the monkey-like Vanara who helped Prince Rama fight the evil King Ravana. Kecak has roots in sanghyang, a trance-inducing exorcism dance. 

Prince Rama, the heir of the Ayodhya Kingdom, and his wife Sita, have been banished by his father, the King Dasarata upon persuasion by Rama's stepmother. The story begins with his brother, Laksamana in the forest of Dandaka. The trio is watched by the demon Rahwana, the King of Alengka, who lusts after the beautiful Sita. Rahwana sends his prime minister, Marica, to play a trick on Sita so that they can kidnap her. Marica has magic powers and he turns himself into a golden deer, and runs around the forest so that he can attract Sita.

When Sita sees the golden deer, she is so enchanted by it, that she asks Rama to capture it for her. Rama goes after the deer and instructs Laksamana to stay behind and protect Sita.

However Sita hears a cry for help from Rama, and she sends Laksamana after Rama. He is hesitant to go but keeps his promise to protect Sita -  he draws a magic circle on the ground and tells Sita not to step outside of this circle under any circumstance.

Sita therefore becomes an easy prey to Rahwana. He magically turns himself into an old hungry priest, begging for food. Sita falls into the trap and steps out of the magic circle. This is the moment where Rahwana kidnaps Sita and takes her to his palace. In the palace in Alengka, Rahwana attempts to seduce Sita but without any luck. In the meantime, Hanoman, the white monkey, a good friend of Rama, starts searching everywhere for Sita.

At the palace, Sita pours her heart out about cruel Rahwana to this niece Trijata, when suddenly Hanoman appears telling her that he is Rama's messenger by showing her Rama's ring. Sita gives her hairpin to Hanoman and sends him back to Rama to let him know that she is still alive and needs to be rescued. During this time, Rama and his brother are wandering in the forest looking for Sita when all of a sudden Meganada, Rahwana's son, appears and engages in a battle. He uses his magic power and shoots an arrow  that turns into a dragon which over powers the brothers. Thankfully, the bird Garuda, king of all birds, and a good friend of king Dasarata is watching the trouble that Rama is in from the sky and flies down to rescue them. From this point, Rama and his brother continue on their mission to rescue Sita and are  joined by Sugriwa, king of the monkeys, and his monkey troop.

The story ends with a battle between Sugriwa and his monkey troop against Meganada and his demon army, in which Meganada gets defeated.

Sanghyang Dance

Sanghyang is a sacred Balinese dance, based on the idea that a force enters the body of an entranced performer. The force, identified as hyang, is an important spiritual entity in ancient Indonesian mythology. The Sanghyang is a God-inspired trance dance. The purpose of this dance is to protect society against all evil forces and epidemics.

It can be presented in many forms, but here it is presented as the Sanghyang Djaran.  Djaran means horse in Java as well as in Bali. The hobbyhorse is associated with the trance and also seen in the Kuda Kepang, a similar function in West Java. The horse rider is brought into a trance by the repetitive sounds of the Gamelan Suara and at this point walks on a bed of burning coconut husks, responding to the sounds.

Sanghyang dedari is a dance performed by pre-pubescent girls, similar in some ways to the Legong dance. Often the girls are carried on the shoulders of men, and trance is associated with this ritual. Sanghyang jaran is a dance performed by boys who ride coconut palm hobbyhorses (Kuda Lumping) in and around a fire. Trance is also associated with this ritual.

The sanghyang dances are considered sacred ritual dances and are usually performed only in Hindu Balinese religious events.