The sound “Cak, Cak, Cak” is the typical sound the spectators hear when they see Balinese Kecak Dance performance. This dance is a drama dance played by around 50 to 150 dancers. This is not an ancient dance. It was created by I Wayan Limbak, a master dancer from Bali. In 1930s, he introduced this dance to various countries, assisted by a German painter named Walter Spies.
The reason Walter Spies helped Wayan Limbak to create this dance is because Walter was very interested in traditional art. They discussed the intention of making this dance as attractive and beautiful as possible, then introduced it to various countries.
Kecak Dance is a ballet (drama) inspired by the Sang Hyang Dance. Sang Hyang is a sacred ritual dance used as a mean of spiritual communication of the community with God or ancestral spirits. In an unconscious state, the dancers will dance to the accompaniment of worship songs and beats. This is also known as Fire Dance because it uses fire.
The Kecak dance is performed without the accompaniment of musical instruments such as gamelan. The dancers sit cross-legged in a row, forming a circle pattern, and make a rhythmic sound “cak, cak, cak” while raising both hands. They wear sarong with black and white color pattern like the color of chessboard, tied around their waist. They do not wear shirt nor t-shirt. The cohesiveness of the dancers will create a dynamic, energetic, and passionate rhythm. So that the tempo of the show will feel faster every time, but still offers an amazing attraction.
In the Sang Hyang Dance from where The Kecak Dance got inspiration from, the dancers are generally possessed by spirits, and can interact with the ancestors who have been purified or God. The dancers are used as medium to convey His word. When possessed, they often perform actions beyond expectations. For example, doing some movements that is quite dangerous or making strange sounds that normal people will find it difficult to make. They also do not experience pain and do not get burn by fire.
From the Sanghyang tradition, the story of this dance was adopted from several episodes of the Ramayana story where King Rama tries to save Shinta from the evil hands of Ravana.
Visitors coming to Bali can see Kecak Dance Performance in Batubulan, Uluwatu, Tanah Lot, GWK Cultural Park, Pura Dalem Ubud, Padang Tegal Stage, Umadewi Stage, and others.