Kecak Dance returns to Bali

Thursday, January 6, 2022

Hypnotic chants along with the Kecak dance have become a symbol of the gradual recovery of the stressed tourism industry of Bali, Indonesia’s holiday island.

Dancers have started regular performances of their routines, only for domestic tourists.

In the 1930s, the Kecak dance was developed by Balinese artist, Wayan Limbak and German painter, Walter Spies, as an art form that makes the use of human voices instead of musical instruments for its background rhythm.

It is an alternative of the story of the Hindu epic Ramayana with 100 bare-chested male Kecak dancers wearing black and white checkered sarongs. They musically chant the cak all through the show while sitting in a circle as the character dancers perform Ramayana roles. Many tourist attractions across the island had to close because of the pandemic, including the Uluwatu Temple amphitheater in southern Bali. These attractions hosted for years Kecak performances.

However, as the situation gets bit eased, Indonesians are more and more making their way to the island and during the year-end holidays hundreds of spectators watched the captivating show.

To quote Bali Tourism Board chairman, Ida Bagus Agung Partha Adnyana, “We are very grateful for the domestic tourist arrivals. In December, an average of 15,000 domestic tourists entered the island every day. With limited international destinations and foreign travel restrictions still in place, Bali remains the main destination for domestic tourists.”

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