How to Find Free Traditional Dance and Drama Performance

Published 6 months, 2 weeks ago in Religion, Dance, Drama & Music by Sidarta Wijaya | 432 Views

There are lot of dances and drama performances that you can enjoy in Bali, if you just know where and when they are staged. The best way to find a free traditional dance or drama performance is to find a calendar of cultural event. There is always a performance of traditional dance or drama in the anniversary of a big temple. So all you have to do is check a calendar of event, go to a temple at the date of the temple anniversary, and wait for the show.

Simple but in reality it just not as simple as it seems. Though you have already get to the venue of the performance but you have to make yourself comfortable with Balinese time; to find the exact time of the performance is next to impossible, there will be a delay, maybe you have to wait for an hours or two, you can not hurry thing in Bali, everything will be done but takes a little more time. The performance usually begins in the evening around 7 or 8 PM but in some temples it may begins around 4 or 5 PM.

The performance is not a show merely a show for the spectators, but it main function is an offering for gods who reside in that temple; there may be no chair for you to sit so you have to stand during the performance or maybe you have to stand in packed space with Balinese who watch the show, the convenience will be minimum but I can guarantee that the experience of Balinese life will be maximum.

Since the performance is staged in relation with temple ceremony, it is usually staged in the middle courtyard or outer courtyard of the temple and since the time of the performance usually during a temple anniversary, it will be better for you if you wear a traditional Balinese dress but if you do not have any at least you have to wear a sarong and a sash to enter the temple area.
The dress requirement is followed by other spiritual cleanliness requirements which are first, menstruating women are banned from the temples, due to general sanction against blood in holy area same prohibition applies to people with open wound. Second, Women who have recently given birth and her husband are banned form the temple ground since Balinese ancient scripture consider that giving birth and the presence a new family member upset the spiritual balance of the family but after 42 days they are allowed to enter. Third, Persons who recently bereaved is also banned from the temples since the lost of a family member is also considered upsetting the spiritual balance of the family only after 42 days they are allowed to enter the temple. And the last one, some temple prohibits baby and toddler to enter the temple, since Balinese religious law stated that a child is a spiritually complete human when one of his or teeth falls off. A baby is considered has strong relation with God since he or she has just departed from His realm and not yet completely human as well as impure as the result of giving birth activity.

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