GLAMOR of Balinese dance is about creating lasting memories. For the audience, each performance is a journey taking them away from their daily routine, reminding them of the beauty and wonder of this world. Balinese dance is not only a performance, but also a cultural heritage that continues to live and bloom in every movement presented.
Gamelan music and dance are an inseparable part of Hinduism in Bali. Meanwhile, in general, Balinese traditional dance itself can be classified into two, namely performance dances (bebalihan dances) and sacred dances (wali dances).
Performance dance (bebalihan) is a dance that is generally performed for entertainment, while sacred dance (wali) is a dance that can only be performed to accompany a series of certain religious ceremonies.
Rejang is a religious ceremonial dance held in temples, merajan or other Hindu holy places. Generally, the dancers consist of women accompanied by gegaboran gamelan accompaniment. Judging from its types, there are several rejang dances such as Rejang Dewa, Rejang Renteng, and others.
This rejang dance is a sacred offering dance to welcome the arrival of the gods from heaven who come down to Earth. This dance symbolizes the people’s sincere expression of gratitude and respect for the gods for their pleasure in coming down to Earth.
Towards the end of last 2023, the Denpasar City Government through the Denpasar Festival or Denfest presented a mass dance in the form of Rejang Napak Siti. Judging from the costumes, this dance looks very different from other rejangs which usually wear a white kebaya, yellow cloth or a combination thereof and a headdress in the form of flowers and woven coconut leaves. The dancers, numbering around 1200 people, wore white kebaya costumes and black and white checkered cloth and red scarves.
Accompanied by melodious gamelan music, dancers perform elegant but dynamic dance movements around the Catur Muka Statue, right in the heart of Denpasar City.
The Rejang Napak Siti dance is a presentation from the Natya Swari Dance Studio which tells the story of the Lembu Nandini (the mount of Lord Shiva) who accompanies Lord Shiva faithfully to go around the universe to create balance in the universe.
