As a dance that has sacred value, the old mask dance from Bali Indonesia is usually performed in piodalan commemoration rituals.

Mask dance is part of traditional Balinese dance drama. Apart from being staged as an entertainment performance, there are also types of mask dances which complement religious ceremonies. One of the mask dances that has both functions is the old mask dance, which is also called the "Werda Lumaku" dance.

The old mask dance features a dancer in magnificent attire and wearing a wooden mask made of "Ylang-Ylang" wood. From the look on his face, it can be seen that the character he plays is a man in his old age.

During the performance, the dancer will walk around the stage and dance with slow movements. Occasionally, the dancer takes a deep breath and makes a playful movement to wipe the sweat from his mask. The choreography performed by the dancers depicts an old man reminiscing about his youth.

As a dance that has sacred value, the old mask dance is usually performed in "Piodalan" commemoration rituals. At the commemoration which is held every 6 months according to the Balinese calendar system, this dance will be performed together with other types of mask dance which form a single unit called the "Panca" mask. Apart from old masks, "Panca" masks consist of inner masks, hard masks, hard bues masks, and "Penasar" figures (storytellers). Apart from being performed as part of religious rituals, the old mask dance and several other "Panca" mask components are also performed in a shorter format as non-ritual dances.

Apart from being part of the "Panca" mask, the old mask dance is also performed as a prelude to another sacred dance, namely the "Pajegan" mask dance. The pajegan mask dance is only performed at religious ceremonies. Apart from that, all the characters in this dance performance are performed by a dancer. The dancer will play different characters with different masks, head coverings and gestures.

#indonesia #heritage #dance #mask #bali #Indonesia #culture

свернуть