in
Ubud,
Bali. The
kecak dance is typically performed by about fifty to one hundred men wearing only loincloths; their upper bodies are left bare. They form concentric circles, in the middle of which is a traditional Balinese coconut oil lamp. First they move their bodies rhythmically to the left and to the right, chanting the words "
chak ke-chak ke-chak ke-chak" continuously in coordinated harmony and beat, in slow rhythm. Gradually the rhythm speeds up and by turns they lift their hands, trembling, into the air. The
kecak sound can be classified as a "musical" performance with the use of the human voice purely with no musical instruments. The dance is performed for dance-dramas and the story presented is taken from the
Ramayana Hindu epic. The bare-chested male
kecak chanters play the role of
Rama's troops of
Vanaras (apes) and
Ravana's troops of
Rakshasas (Demons). The duration of the performance is around an hour. The story of the
Ramayana is depicted, beginning with
Sita and
Rama's exile in the jungle of
Dandaka. The performance reenacts the appearance of the Golden Deer, the abduction of Sita by
Ravana, the battle between Ravana and
Jatayu, the search for Sita by
Hanuman, and ends with the battle between Rama and Ravana. The
kecak chanters chant and sing in accordance with the mood and milieu of the story.
Kecak dance performances in
Bali usually take place daily in the evening (6 pm, Bali time) at
Balinese Hindu temples such as
Uluwatu Temple and
Tanah Lot. There are also dance stages used exclusively for
kecak performances in
Ubud,
Garuda Wisnu Kencana, Batu Bulan, Pandawa beach and other places in Bali.
Kecak performances also take place on other occasions, such as for cultural and entertainment displays. Dancers usually come from local villagers of the surrounding area of the performance; they usually have a main job other than dancing which they finish before performing the
kecak dance. The dancers' income from the dance usually comes from tickets sold to the spectators. The most popular destination for
kechak dance performances is
Uluwatu Temple.
Dancers . The dancers consist of two types: the
kecak male-chanters and the main
Ramayana dancers who play the roles of Sita, Rama,
Lakshmana, Ravana, Hanuman, Jatayu, etc. Some of the
kecak male-chanters who chant
chak-chak-chak have their own tasks during the performance. One individual is responsible for maintaining the beat of the chant by chanting "
po-po-po-po". Another man serves as the leader of the chorus, instructing them to stop or start the chanting by yelling command vocals such as "
Diih!", "
Chiaaat!", etc. There is also a man whose job is to sing during the chanting; he sings in a melodious or rhythmic tone according to the situation of the dance with vocalizations such as "
Shiiir-yang-ngger-yang-nggur-yang-nggeer". Another man, known as the
dalang, narrates
the story during the dance, usually in
Balinese and
Sanskrit. The men chosen for these tasks are usually the senior male dancers. The remaining chanters chant "
chak-chak-chak" continuously and simultaneously with harmony. The dancers who represent the core
Ramayana characters are considered an essential part of the dance. Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, and the Golden Deer, whose movements are gentle and smooth, are sometimes played by female dancers who are trained in such styles of movement. Men play muscular characters such as
Ravan,
Hanuman,
Sugriv, etc.
Trance Trance rituals often accompany certain sections of the
kecak dance, such as during the portrayal of the burning of Hanuman. Here, the dancer playing Hanuman is blessed by a priest and enters a
trance state for the fire kicking dance which follows. The dancer does not feel any pain from the fire because he is in a state of trance. ==In popular culture==