Kecak Dance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Kecak Dance - Essay Example This is apparent from the male gender’s checkered costumes won from the waist besides the performers’ array as they do the dance. From its inception to date, the dance has earned itself an incomparable fame globally owing to its magnificent aspects that comprise the entire performance, which this essay seeks to elaborate. Kecak Dance comprises an amalgamation of various Indian cultural exorcism movements and themes whose purpose entailed to narrate Ramayana account (Ubud). The dance represents 1930s’ work done by both Wayan Limbak and Walter Spies, where due to their immense and varied knowhow, emerged with a dance that is of its own category (Cormier). These composers sourced ideas from the Indian culture whereby they merged them with the knowhow they possessed with the intention of narrating Ramayana account by acting. This is manifested from the various aspects depicting Walter Spies’ artistic touch, for illustration, checkered pants, varied consumes ha ving dragon images, and the performers’ fascinating array while dancing. The dance’s creators intended to present their composition to the Western tourists, hence prompting Wayan Limbak to popularizing it globally. Therefore, Wayan Limbak ended up forming troupes meant to organize numerous functions globally with the intention of reaching many people (Cormier). Kecak dance is one of the numerous Indian expressions of Ramayana account. Principally, this is Hindu epic where artists from its inception have devised numerous ways to represent it, for illustration, carving and even using canvas (Bakan 88). The account starts with the arrival of Rama accompanied by his wife Sita and immediate brother Laksmana in the jungle. Owing to the Rama grandmother’s trickery, the trio found themselves exiled to the Dandaka forest where they thought would offer them privacy they needed. Conversely, all their actions and missions in the forest were under the observation of demon Ra hwana. The demon started lusting after Sita where it sought ways of separating the trio to abduct her from the two men. The accomplishment of this mission was via his prime minister who transformed himself to a golden deer to lure Rama away from the wife. Then the demon approached Sita in the form of a hungry priest desperately in need of assistance (Bakan 86). Finally, the trick succeeded, where Rahwana abducted the wife and proceeded with her to his palace. Rama and his brother on realizing what happened to Sita, they embarked on a search mission intended to rescue her from the demonic kingdom with the aid of Sugriwa’s monkey army. This is evident from the dance’s certain movements that are similar to those of monkeys, as they try to put off fire while engaging Meganada until they defeated him. Hence, the story acts as the theme if the dance where performers narrate it using actions besides chanting (Nettl et al 89). Initially, in 1930s the Kecak dance’s perfo rmers were only men, though as years progressed the organizers included women. Since, some of its scenes’ roles entailed female performers, for instance, the Sita’s position who was Rama’s partner. The most intriguing aspect of the Kecak dance is its unique mode of staging. Since, the audience without proper knowledge of its thematic account can perceive it as being illogical and loose interest. Therefore, the organizers mainly ensure there is adequate literature