Hilton Chen
Ramayana
Kecak dancers reenact a story from the Ramayana, an ancient Sanskrit epic as old (if not older) as the Bible. Kecak is a Balinese Hindu musical drama that tells the story of Prince Rama’s quest to rescue his beloved wife Sita from the clutches of the demon Ravana with the help of an army of monkeys. The dance is performed by a group of men forming concentric circles surrounding the principal characters who act out the story. The men continuously chant the words ke-chak ke-chak ke-chak in coordinated harmony and beat while they rock their bodies left to right and raise their hands trembling into the air. One individual in the group is responsible for maintaining the beat of the chant as he chants “po-po-po-po.” The dance takes on an almost rhythmic trancelike quality at times as the story is played out, and you feel as though you've been transported back in time to an ancient kingdom as you watch this spectacle unfold in front of you.
Ramayana
Kecak dancers reenact a story from the Ramayana, an ancient Sanskrit epic as old (if not older) as the Bible. Kecak is a Balinese Hindu musical drama that tells the story of Prince Rama’s quest to rescue his beloved wife Sita from the clutches of the demon Ravana with the help of an army of monkeys. The dance is performed by a group of men forming concentric circles surrounding the principal characters who act out the story. The men continuously chant the words ke-chak ke-chak ke-chak in coordinated harmony and beat while they rock their bodies left to right and raise their hands trembling into the air. One individual in the group is responsible for maintaining the beat of the chant as he chants “po-po-po-po.” The dance takes on an almost rhythmic trancelike quality at times as the story is played out, and you feel as though you've been transported back in time to an ancient kingdom as you watch this spectacle unfold in front of you.