Topeng Bali in Balinese Cultural Character

Happiness and sadness is a sense of self-expression which can be reflected from face expression. Mostly, this self-expression holds the role of a face expression which is so important in some activity and could be adjusted by base on scale of need. Not only being a certain fashion trends that a make-up faces are made only for showbiz purposes, but there are times in some ways people can create a makeover on his face with psychological factors support that wants to be disclosed or the mood to be covered, commonly use to describe a noun known as the “Mask”.

Mask is a shape which is generally used to cover a face. Mask at the beginning of its development is used to realize the imaginary form of a person and is usually associated with religious and magical atmosphere and of course with highly creativity power and art creations. Trust in the form of nature deities and forms of real ancestors reflection is often poured into the form of a mask for a complementary means of a deity or ancestor worship ceremonies at that time. The form of the arts was diverse; form of human faces up until animal’s forms, as in most of African, the mask takes the form of an animal because it is believed to be used as a means to communicate with the Gods and ancestors. While in the Asian region the mask was used to give more meaning to the definition of the characters in such colossal epics Mahabharata and Ramayana which is originally from India, then spread to several regions in Southeast Asia including Indonesia, especially Java and Bali. Development of form and masks character in Java and Bali is much influenced by Hindu & Buddhist cultures of India and China. Universally, mask is used to display the expression of a character in a ceremony or in theatrical performances. In a historic development function of the mask and its power been shifted to other purposes such as face shield even for amusement. Masks are not only used on the face of a dancer or mask user, but there are times when the mask is also used in other parts such as body or finger. Other function is a mask often used in festivals, carnival, even to be used in the Halloween event.

Mask called “Topeng” in Indonesia. By the form that commonly used by the mask dancers, Balinese “Topeng Bungkulan” distinguished as a mask form covering the entire face, and “Topeng Sibakan” is a shape of a mask that just cover half part of the face. “Topeng Bungkulan” is usually used in the Balinese theatrical drama using mastermind and sounding with word and song wearing Ancient Balinese language or a language derived from Sanskrit. While “Topeng Sibakan” on the show not wearing mastermind because the wearer can use their own voice.

In Balinese culture, mask usually became the most important part in the mask dance, and having a very close connection with religious ceremonies because it is often staged in the temple or during religious events which is so sacred. Balinese people call the mask as “Tapel”. Dance mask that very associated with religious ceremonies and performed during some religious ceremony is known as “Topeng Pajegan” or “Topeng Wali”. This mask dance is performed by a single dancer and must bring a few roles using different masks in a dance session. Dancing with five or more dancers who wear masks with different characters called “Topeng Panca”. Appearance of several figures from “Topeng Panca” can also be displayed in “Topeng Prembon” Dance. Mask dance performance that perform comedy road stories or folklore of ordinary Balinese people called “Topeng Arja” or “Topeng Bondres”.

Balinese masks are also used to represent the characters with their respective duties and functions, in order to bring a demand in the mask dance. “Topeng Tua” or “Topeng Keras” represent a character of a wise holy man; it is figure “Pangelembar”. Other strata character known as the figure of “Penasar Kelihan” and “Penasar Cenikan”. There is also a figure called “Ratu Dalem” and “Ratu Patih”. There is also a character that figure ordinary people named “Bondres”. But the character which is acted by the mask dancers must also be able to convey the mask character to the audience explicitly or implicitly.

Theatrical masks nevertheless can sometimes be understood only with the help of the voice from a puppeteer. Strong character traits by a mask user will bring the story in amusement role becomes something meaningful to the audience, although sometimes the wearer’s mood is very different from their mask figure played on role. Likewise for humans also, role of character is inherent in each individual and can give a beautiful conclusion that the world is non-different from a mask theater. What role is on performed behind your face mask, is it joy or sorrow?

Movements of Sacred Beauty

Bali Painting - Solo DancerDistance and time in dynamic motion of the universe, build a space for living things to move in pursuing natural movement. Inspiration of natural movement has given participation for the creation of art movements in the human world and poured into a form of popular dance. The art of dance is a form of real information that living things were artistically capitalized in their respective lives. Civilization has taught living things to create communication, either verbally or without words which must be understood by both parties by using non-verbal body movements only. In the art of dance, the dancers must be able to give dance meaning to the recipients, so the audience can interpret the story of the dance movement itself. The scope of the art of dance not only as an entertainment, but has a broad scope in terms of its implementation and usage. In some countries, a dance has been known before the existence of cultural civilization, but maybe only giving a meaning to the application of a religious life of mythology and for healing treatment, up to those reasons even now are still found in some countries and regions, the existence of dance that originated from ancient times are still preserved as one of the cultural heritage of ancestors.

Dance means a body movement in time with the music and used to show expression, social interaction, spiritual expression and an entertainment show. Expression of the body and face movements of dancers able to give meaning to a soul of dances. Expression in dance can also be used as a forum for public social interaction to a connoisseur of art. A dance can also display a particular spiritual expression which is really spiritually purified. Speaking of spiritual issues and dances, once again will be introduced how to see art and spiritual so unified in the blood and breath of life of the Balinese society. Cultural heritage from prehistoric times until it was introduced civilization in Bali by the newcomers seemed increasingly makes Bali so well known. Art and spiritual life of the Balinese people are not separated from the norms and the preservation of its entire cultural heritage. In addition to spatial layout, motion was always filled with the values of art and high culture and usually closely related to religion Hindu community in Bali, art and culture originated from God, dedicated and shall return to the glory of the Creator.

When relation between the spatial structure of all forms of religious art and culture is a sacred thing, and dance forms called “Tarian Wali” such as Berutuk dance, Rejang dance, Sang Hyang Dedari dance, Baris Gede dance. Dance usually using sacred infrastructure and Temple as a place to perform, at least the dancers who dancing must still virgin or must obtain prior purification procession known as “Pasupati”, this sacred procession could maintain vertical relation between human with the Creator, so the dance included in this “Tarian Wali” contain magical powers. Tarian Wali is sacred offerings of the dancers to God with the firm notes that the dance is not perform commercially. Unlike the other categories of Balinese dance, some dances are includes into “Bebali”, they are Gambuh, Topeng Pajegan, Wayang Wong. This dance is perform at Temple and could also be shown to the public outside of religious environment, of course, magic sense is still guarded. Dance intended as a show for the public area classified into dance called “Balih-balihan”, such as Legong dance, Parwa, Arja, Joged, and dances with modern choreography. Many kinds of Balinese dances classified in three categories and all of this dance is not easy for dancers to be able to master it and to hold the high proficiency level in the expression of magic and religy, body movements that has to be adjust to the pace and rhythm of music and soul of this art is not easy to learn and needs special training. Time and strata or levels must pass from an early age. One or two years is not the time required for a dancer to be able to understand every movement of Balinese dance in expressing the soul of the art and it is not an understable things in a short time, but it may take from an early age until reach ten years even more . Basic level, an intermediate (Madya) and full stratum (Purna) is the strata for a dancer to successfully assuming the power of art and culture of Balinese dance. The beauty of motion in the sacred task of maintaining the relationship with God and in the preservation of this cultural heritage is taken locally by various efforts including the existence of special schools where conservation and development of Balinese dances taking place, there are also many dance workshops which provides early instruction on how to master Balinese dance.

High dedication in keeping the arts and cultural heritage of Bali is expected to become the beauty and harmony in dynamic motion of Balinese people. Space and time in beauty of movement will bring you for joining the magical sense of art and culture in Balinese dance.

Kama Jaya and Ratih, All Together in Sang Hyang Semara’s

Bumblebee Dance--courtesy of Neka Art Museum by Anak Agung Gede SobratThroughout the history of human civilization, along with the age of the universe in achieving modernization, Love is being well known for all the creatures on the planet earth. Universally meaning for all human beings, even Love could transforming the simplest desire into the deepest feeling of resignation. Love might be a form of reason for all occurrences which sometimes could not describe logically or mathematically.  If Love placed as a word with its limited meaning, then she will said as a tenderly deep feeling of caring somebody or something.  But none of those strands word could be boundaries to prison Love. Every place in this world has different way and manner to express love and affection. Love sometimes could answer to many questions which ended with one main reason; what reason would you imagine when you do something, what is your reason pointed when you start dislike something, or when you are stuck in a thinking to re-find the cause of reasons why you decided to release something, then Love in the form of power could forced you doing something, Love against something provoke you to understand every detail of it then you might be able to find out the things you don’t like and raise boredom and hate, and love will bring you to learn on how to release something you’d really like. Those are a deep speculation about love because she can not be limited and confined in a special sense.

One day on February known as day to reflected Love and affection meaning, that day called Valentine’s Day, as said before that every part in this green planet has time to written Love power. Bali as a unique civilization with many history and culture of the Hinduism since ancient times has the day to reflect love and affection as well. According to a source, Wuku Saniscara Kliwon Krulut or commonly referred to as Tumpek Krulut is used as a ceremony of Taksu. In this case, Taksu is a person or object that could cause a pleasure of others nearby, and from this joyful affection could raise Love. God with the form as Sang Hyang Semara Jaya and Sang Hyang Semara Ratih in Balinese Hindu communities is as a symbolic worship used in ceremonies such as marriage, manhood, or potong gigi. Symbols of Sang Hyang Semara Jaya and Ratih are always a facilities and infrastructure in providing a sense of affection through all the ritual; it is more about vertically connection between humans and The Creator and horizontally dealings among humans. Sang Hyang Semara Jaya and Ratih is a symbol of God’s fusion deploying to every human being and able to give the history of the love and affection formation between humans. Dance procession called Oleg Tambulilingan is a form love of art that has managed to describe the form of how Sang Hyang Semara Jaya and Sang Hyang Semara Ratih meet each other in every soul of man and a woman. Originally, Oleg Tambulilingan only perform by woman dancer but later in their development then add male dancer to give more meaning to the reunification of Sang Hyang Semara Jaya and Sang Hyang Semara Ratih.

These realism of  Love in culture and social life has lead Bali as a small island filled with glorious cultural heritage of his ancestors and proving that Love and Compassion in the realm of cultural preservation reiterated that Love couldn’t be limited only by having understanding of the words itself but rather about Love limitless.