Here is an interesting article on the contrast of Music style between Java and Bali from Fredric Lieberman.

Java and Bali share many basic music-style elements. The predominant instruments in both traditions are struck metal idiophones and idiophone sets, large ensemble performance is the ideal, and solo instrument traditions are rare. The same kind of tuning systems are found in both areas. Musical form is delineated by colotomic or interpunctuating instruments (gongs) while agogic instruments (drums) control the kinetics of flow; and the prevailing texture is that created by several musical levels, or strata, elaborating or abstracting a basic melody.

Music is primarily an adjunct to ritual, dance-drama, or puppetry, the literature of which derives from the Hindu epics Mahabharata and Ramayana. Despite these shared characteristics, the two music styles give decidedly differing impressions. Javanese music is refined, controlled, serene, intellectual, “. . . each note is so soft, so tender, so vaguely thrilling, so changing–but ah! how compelling, how bitterly beautiful: that is no tinkling of glass, of copper, or wood; it is the voices of men’s souls that speak to me . . .” (Kartini 1964:50) Balinese music, on the other hand, is dynamic, lively, full of contrast and excitement, with “. . . a beauty that depends upon form and pattern and a vigour that springs from a rhythmic vitality both primitive and joyous.” (DeZoute 1939:6)

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The west has Aesop fable, which deals with the numerous fables and the Balinese answer for this series of the fables, is Tantri story. The Tantri story is the name of Javanese version on the Hindu Pancatantra, a collection of stories originated from India. The Tantri story is a mixture of Aesop fables and Thousands and One night story. The story began to be introduced in Bali after Bali was subjugated by Majapahit Kingdom of East Java.

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I walked into the compound of the griya (Brahmin household) in the midst of much activity. Their family gods were getting new shrines and every post and pavilion was wrapped in gold-painted cloth; the neighbors were there in droves making offerings, sorting through rice and busying themselves with the myriad tasks any large temple ceremony entails. And this is two weeks before the ceremony even begins.

This compound is where Ida Bagus Oka Wirjana, or Gus Aji Blangsinga as he is more affectionately known (named after his village of Blangsinga) lives with only a few of his l7 children (with Ida Ayu Putu Muter), 27 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. An incredibly handsome and fit man of 73, Gus Aji is one of the living repositories of the famed Kebyar Duduk dance, which was created in the 1930s by I Ketut Mario and has become one of the standards seen in both sacred and secular venues.

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Out of many kinds of masked dances in Bali, Jauk and Telek can be categorized as the most singular one. Jauk is the male version of this genre while Telek is the female one. Jauk and Telek are kind of masked dance that can be distinguished from other kind of masked dances out of its mask, outfit and dance movement.

The mask of Jauk is white or brown, fierce with large eyes and shiny teeth, moustache and sometimes with beard. The striking features of Jauk’s outfit are the bright head dress in the shape of Buddhist stupa and long artificial fingernails. Telek also wears the identifying stupa-shaped headdress and carries a fan, as for the mask, telek wears white mask with smiling pleasant expression. For the movement, Jauk movements is similar to baris (warrior) dance but with more exaggerated violence.

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During the heyday of tourism in Bali around 70s and 80s, the visitors to the paradise island usually had a chance or two to be showered by flowers by a group of girls with golden shiny costume holding a bowl of colorful flowers who danced the “Welcoming Dance” either in the hotel lobby or in airport. The Panyembrama (Welcoming) dance is a standard welcome dance that is always performed first in a dance program and regularly performed at Ngurah Rai Airport when distinguished guests from Jakarta or foreign dignitaries arrive.

The Panyembrama (Welcoming) dance is a purely secular dance that was created in 1967 by I Gusti Gede Raka, a well-known dance teacher form the village of Saba, in Gianyar regency’ based on the movement of the sacred rejang dance. After some reworking by I Wayan Beratha in 1970, the Panyembrama (Welcoming) dance reached its present form.

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Birds are animals which inspired many choreographers to produced beautiful Balinese contemporary dances. Their energetic and sometimes elegant movements combined with their beautiful feathers are never-ending source of inspiration and imagination for Balinese choreographers to depict in a dance or two. Here are some well known dances which draw their inspiration from birds.

Manuk Rawa dance, from flickr.com/photos/ceklek/

Manuk Rawa
Manuk Rawa dance was the first contemporary dance which based on the movements of the bird to make a great impression on Balinese. Manuk Rawa was created by I wayan Dibia in 1981 as a part of Mahabharata Sendratari (Balinese dance-drama) entitled Bale Gala-gala (house of wax). The dance depicts the life of a flock of waterbirds (manuk rawa) who play freely and peacefully in a pond deep inside the forest. In this dance the traditional movements of Balinese dance is combined with a dance from West Java which depicts the movement of a peacock.

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