In 1915, a new genre of Balinese Gamelan was introduced in North Bali. This new composition is called Kebyar, involving a mixture of old and new melodies with new variations syncopation, so that it forms an entirely new genre of Balinese gamelan music. And by chance in the same year a young dancer from Tabanan, I Mario, saw that the dance which was accompanied by this new composition was performed rather badly and could not keep up with intricate variations, paraphrases, cadenzas and complicated rhythmic of the new composition. And saw the possibilities of a solo dance that can be matched with the new composition.

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Back in his home town in Tabanan, Mario worked out his ideas even without the help of the gamelan. The result of his arduous work was the highly demanding Kebyar dance. This is the only dance that is able to interpret the new gamelan composition in its spontaneous movements.

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This year, Lila Cita has been invited to perform at the prestigious Bali Arts Festival. This festival, known locally as Pesta Kesenian Bali or PKB, is the biggest showcase of Balinese visual and performing arts and is now in its 28th year. For a whole month (17 June to 15 July), artists and performers from all over Bali and selected groups from other countries will pack the busy daily programme. Have a look at the last year’s PKB programme.

Lila Cita will be on stage in Denpasar at 8pm on 8 July 2006. We will be playing both Gamelan Gong Kebyar and Gamelan Semar Pagulingan and will be the first foreign group ever to play Gamelan Semar Pagulingan at the Bali Arts Festival.

More information visit http://www.lilacita.com/