Kecak, Balinese Dramatic Dance

Kecak, a form of Balinese music drama, is one of the most famous of many Balinese Dances. It is unusual because Kecak dance is performed primarily by men and doesn’t use gamelan or other musical accompaniment like many other Balinese dances do. The rhythm of the dance is produced by chanting ‘choirs’ of men ” Cak .. Cak .. acak .. acak .. cak ” noise, by Kecak dancer itself. A troupe of over 100 bare-chested men serve as the chorus, making a wondrous cacophony of synchronized "cak .. acak .. acak" clicking sounds while swaying their bodies and waving their hands .From that chanting noise of ” Cak .. Cak .. acak .. acak .. cak ”. Then it gave the dance its name Kecak.

What makes the Kecak such a fascinating dance to watch are the troupe of men who are bare chested, and just wearing sarong around their waists. They are both the choir and the props, providing the music for the story in a series of constant vocal chants that change with the mood of the actors. They don't sit still, either, they wave their arms to simulate fire, and reposition themselves around the stage to represent wind and fire, prison cells, and unseen hand of protection from the gods. The Kecak Dance chanting is superbly synchronized with raise their hands in unison, flutter their finger and lean left and right, all with exciting coordination.

The Kecak dance is played in five acts and lasts roughly 45 minutes. It depicts a battle from Hindu epic Ramayana, which tells the story of the monkey-like Vanara helped Prince Rama to fight and defeat the evil King of Lanka, Ravana, who has kidnapped his wife, Princess Sita.

Kecak Dance was originally part of Shanghyang Trance Dance, a trance ritual accompanied by male chorus. Then in 1930s, Modern Kecak Dance, developed in Gianyar Regency exactly in Bona Village. A Modern Kecak dance was accompanied the Hindu’s Ramayana tale.

Location of Destination
Daily or weekly performances of the Kecak abound around the island especially at Pura Luhur Uluwatu (Pecatu Village, in Badung Regency), Hanoman road (in Gianyar Regency), and in town of Batubulan (in Gianyar Regency).
But the most well-known Kecak theater is in the town of Batubulan, about 10 km north of the Balinese capital of Denpasar.

Route to Get Destination
By plane to Sukarno-Hata Airport (Jakarta). Then by domestic flight about 1 hours and 50 minutes from Sukarno-Hatta International Airport (Jakarta) to I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (Bali Island). Or by international direct flight to I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (Bali Island).
Then by car about 30 minutes from Denpasar City to the town of Batubulan.

Best Time to Visit
Every day visitors can attend at Kecak theater in the town of Batubulan at the time about 19.00 PM. It’s about the same time with Kecak theater at Pura Luhur Uluwatu.

Accommodation for Traveller
To attend at the show in the town of Batubulan, tourists usually stay in some hotels in Denpasar.
Aria Luxury Villas & Spa, Oranjje Denpasar, Hotel Puri Ayu Denpasar, Grand Santhi

Others
Various hotels in Bali hold Kecak dance performances. Tickets to the performance are offered at the main hotels in Bali. It’s better to ask the hotel for further information.

If interested in the short course of Kecak dance, tourists can take a course in the Bali Classic Arts Center, in the Village of Nyuh Kuning, Ubud, Gianyar Regency, Bali. The course takes one hour more, consists of training and practice Kecak Dance with the trainers who have expertise. The participants usually consist of domestic and overseas tourists. The Participants of the course are not limited to men only but also for women.