If someone takes a tale that you have literally grown up with, add an indigenous art form and throw in some magnificent vistas, it invariably leads to brilliance. We managed to come across such a brilliance in the Kecak dance also known as Ramayana monkey chant or the Fire Dance. The Kecak is one of the main attractions on the island of Bali and is inspired by the battle depicted in great epic Ramayana.
The exhilarating performance is based on a choir of male performers wearing checked clothes below the waist. The performers chant cak cak cak cak in a percussive rhythm to create an aura of a trance inducing exorcism dance. The chorus of the singers apart from making the percussive rhythm vigorously move their arms and legs to create a complete theatrical atmosphere for the telling of the epic Ramayana. No musical instrument is used, none whatsoever and their absence is hardly noticed.
The dance popularized in Bali is also performed at multiple locations throughout SouthEast Asia with variations. In Bali one of the best proponents of the art is demonstrated at the magnificent Uluwatu temple. The Uluwatu temple is perched high aloft a cliff at the southern-most point of Bali. A visit to the temple is a spectacle in itself. It only helps further that the temple offers one of the best Sunset views. As the sun sets over the mighty Indian Ocean, the setting Sun provides a vast panorama of spectacular vistas across the Uluwatu temple and in doing thus provides multiple shades of light to the entire performance lifting it to dizzying heights.
The performance starts during the sunlight hours. The scenes enacted during the daylight follow the diligent pattern of Ramayana story telling. The sounds and the trance moves of the kecak dancers provide a totally newer dimension to a tale I have seen umpteen times. As the sun sets over the Indian Ocean, the vistas start to change and the show gathers momentum. First of all one gets totally engulfed by the beautiful sunset and the temple which provides a glorious backdrop. As the darkness engulfs the entire spectrum the piece de resistance of the entire dance unfolds with Hanuman being ordered to be burnt by Ravana. This sequence leads to a magnificent Fire Dance where in the Monkey Lord Hanuman burns the entire kingdom of Ravana with Fire.
It is amazing how a travel to a different land leads to seeing child hood stories in a totally different vein. The show not only made us aware of the our rich cultural heritage, but also the beautiful fact that we share with people from other countries. It also made us aware of their interpretations. For us the performance was enriching in multiple different dimensions in complete harmony with the way the setting sun provided multiple dimensions to the art form.
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