Dances of Bali

Several important classic Balinese dances are performed by six dancers and twelve musicians, artists celebrated in their own culture yet hardly known abroad. Interviews in Malay with two leading dancers are included: Raka and Sukraka. Commentary and interview are by Asian dance authority Faubion Bowers. The dances are: "Djuak", a duet with drum and demon; "Oleg Tambulilingam", a dance of two bees; "Kebyar Terompong", a seated dance in which the body mirrors the performing instrument; and "Legong Kraton", a stylized dance for three children. Balinese dancers are trained from the earliest years. Their art is a combination of dance, theater, and musicianship. Their audience is familiar with a large vocabulary of gestures that describe their world and everything in it, including animals, royalty and emotions.