Kebyar Dance
Kebyar Dance is a male
solo dance like the Baris, there are various forms of Kebyar including
the Kebyar Duduk and Kebyar Trompong. In Kebyar Dance, the accent is
upon the dancer himself, who interprets every nuance of the music in
powerful facial expressions and movement. The most popular form of
Kebyar in South Bali is Kebyar Duduk, the “seated” Kebyar, where the
dancer sits cross-legged throughout most of the dance.
By de-empasizing the legs and decreasing the Kebyar Dance
1space to a small sphere, the relation between dancer and gamelan is
intensified. The dance is concentrated in the flexibility of the wrist
and elbow, the magnetic power of the face, and the suppleness of the
torso. The music seems infused in the dancer’s body. The fingers bend
with singular beauty to catch the light melodies, while the body sways
back and forth to the resounding beat of the gong.
As the dance progresses, the dancer
crosses the floor on the outer edges of his feet and approaches a member
of the orchestra, usually the lead drummer. He woos the musician with
side glances and smiles, but the drummer is too absorbed in the music to
respond. Insulted, the Kebyar dancer leaves him and
sets out for a new conquest. The Kebyar is the most strenuous and subtle
of Balinese dances. It is said that no one can become a great Kebyar
dancer unless he can play every instrument of the orchestra.
In Kebyar Trompong, in fact,
the dancer actually joins the orchestra by playing a long instrument
called the trompong while he continues to dance.
