Kecak

Kecak
Kecak dancers in Uluwatu
Native nameᬓᬾᬘᬓ᭄ (Balinese)
Tari Kecak (Indonesian)
GenreTraditional dance
Instrument(s)Gamelan, Gong, Kendhang
OriginIndonesia

Kecak (Balinese: ᬓᬾᬘᬓ᭄, romanized: kécak, pronounced "kechak"), alternate spellings: kechak and ketjak), known in Indonesian as tari kecak, is a form of Balinese Hindu dance and music drama that was developed in the 1930s. Since its creation, it has been performed primarily by men, with the first women's kecak group having started in 2006.[1] The dance is based on the story of the Ramayana and is traditionally performed in temples and villages across Bali, Indonesia.[2]

Also known as the Ramayana monkey chant, the dance is performed by a circle of as many as 150 performers wearing checked cloths around their waists, percussively chanting "chak", and moving their hands and arms. The performance depicts a battle of the Ramayana, in which the monkey-like Vanaras, led by Hanuman, help Prince Rama fight the evil King Ravana. Kecak has roots in sanghyang, a trance-inducing exorcism dance.[3]

  1. ^ "Cultural Liberty Under Spotlight at Women Playwrights" Archived 2012-10-04 at the Wayback Machine, Jakarta Post, 3 December 2006, accessed 13 August 2010
  2. ^ "Kecak Dance - Indonesia Travel". www.indonesia.travel. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  3. ^ Michel Picard (April 1990). "'Cultural Tourism' in Bali: Cultural Performances as Tourist Attraction, Indonesia" (Vol. 49 ed.). Southeast Asia Program Publications, Cornell University: 37–74. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)