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Ceremonial dances and dramas directly
relate to religious ceremonies by serving as offerings ,prayers ,or
exorcisms. With the active participation of the Pemangku (the
peoples ,s priest and caretaker of the village temple) ,they are a
dramatic form of contact with the spiritual
world.
Religious dances are usually held within or near a temple
. The presentation of an offering in the form of a ritual dance is
known as Pendet . Unlike the exhibition dances that demand arduous
training ,Pendet may be danced by anyone : male and female Pemangku
, or woman and girls of the village .
Pendet is taught simply by
imitation . Younger girls follow the movements of the elder women ,
who recognize their responsibility in setting a good example .
Proficiency comes with age , and the grandmothers are the best
.
As a religious dance , Pendet is performed during temple
ceremonies . All dancers carry in their right hand a small offering
of in cense ,cakes ,water vessels , or flower formations set in palm
leaf .With these they dance from shrine within the temple . Pendet
may continue intermittently through out the day and late into night
during temple feasts.
In the Sanghyang ,in which the dancers
enter a trance prior to dancing , the ceremony begins in the temple
and moves to a clearing nearby . Because of their association with
evil sprits , the Calon Arang and Barong plays are generally held
near the temple of the dead and the graveyard , favorite meeting
places of witches and the like .
Trance
An elevated
state of consciousness , trance is part of Balinese life and is
viewed as quite natural . An entranced person communicating with a
divine presence is respected as holly , guided by a directive
influence , usually a priest . The Balinese are careful never to let
someone in a trance get out of hand . There are always guardians who
stand by to exercise control , if needed.
Although there were
once more variations of the Sanghyang than will be found today in
Bali , trance continues to be influential . Kecak and Janger, for
examples, are direct offshoots of the Sanghyang , and a dancer
becoming
possessed by at role is manifest in a topeng actor by
the characters of the masks. |
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