WALI,  BEBALI AND BALIH - BALIAN

Doing art as a form of worship is all the more clearly seen if we look at wayang kulit, or shadow puppet theater. This art form is said to originate from Java, although it has taken on a special aspect during its developt in Bali.

Looking at its constituent artistic elements, Wayang kulit at once features dance in movement of the puppets, traditional music from its gender wayang gamelan ensemble, fine art in its finely carved puppets which appear in the various iconic forms of wayang and in full color, voice the vocal effect and erudite narration of the puppeteer, and above all the literature from which the puppeteer gets the philosophy on human life as moral education inherent in the dalang's verse. Truly a holistic art form.

The art of wayang began by narrating tales of the lives of deified ancestors. In its subsequent development it was greatly influenced by Hindu culture from India. This aesthetic, based on the Ramayana and Mahabrata epics has been the unifying feature of wayang ever since and cannot be separated from it.

In Bali, Wayang kulit is multi-functional, being at once wali (sacred - only for ceremonial use), bebali (as an antecedent to a ceremony), and also balih-balihan ( a form af secular entertainment). When it is functioning as wali or bebali, the important thing about wayang kulit is tirtha wayang-the holy water sought and used by the puppeteer, or dalang. The quality of the performance is most certainly secondary to this, particularly when performed in the middle of the day when few people are likely to attend the performance (wayang lemah). May be this is because wayang lemah doesn't use a screen an light source, thus diminishing its artistic content. No, the people are far more likely to watch enthusiastically during an evening performance, whether the show is purely for entertainment (balih-balihan), or as part of a religious ceremony (bebali). Bearing in mind its sacred function, wayang kulit does not necessarily depend for its success on a huge audience. Whether there are 100 or only two or three spectators, the show goes on regardless, because the holy water involved in the ceremonial side of the performance makes it just as important to perform for the environment as for human onlookers. And because of its sacred function, the puppeteer never imposes any kind of tariff for his efforts. The dalang is easily satisfied as long as the performance runs smoothly and the onlookers are cheered in the process. Retribution is a secondary consideration, particularly for the experienced puppeteer who understands the code of ethics associated with his craft, designed to avoid commercialization. And when staging a show called suddhamala, the dalang never accepts a fee, in agreement with the society of dalangs. If this rule is disobeyed, the moral sanctions are serious indeed. That's why we see the puppeteer carrying out his duties more with an air of devotion an worship, than as a means of acquiring income, just like the dancers of sacred dances we looked at earlier.

However, for the Balinese, the arts should not be confined to the temple. Actually the enthusiasm with which the arts are performed in holy places is just as evident elsewhere. Performing seems to be in the life blood of the Balinese, whether they are factory workers, tailors, drivers, tradesmen, or field workers by day, in the evening they perform a musicians, dancers and puppeteers. This is because for the Balinese it is difficult to categorize people as artists, farmers, civil servants and so on. Many dancers will tell you that they regard themselves as farmers-their daily occupations. Many many dancers are in daily life chauffeurs and office workers.

The truth is that almost every banjar (smallest village unit) has a gamelan, dancers and musicians. Youngsters practice gamelan on days set aside for this. The girls study dancing in the banjar, and more recently many attend classes at dance studies that use more modern teaching methods. For Balinese women, dancing is an obligation and a skill they feel they must acquire.

It's not surprising then, that many of the traditional and profane arts have enjoyed an unbroken growth and development. Joged, Drama Gong, Arja, and Janger, are just a few examples of these art forms. They are performed in a whole variety of places - in temples, banjar, in open ground, at the edge of main roads, and even in five star hotels in front of tourist audiences.

However, the balih-balihan art from which has most attracted admiration far and wide is the intricately beautiful Legong. There is a strong possibility that the Legong developen from the wali dance sanghyang dedari, but the influence of Gambuh is also quite clearly present.

Legong can accommodate a number of different stories. With highly feminine costume accessories, like hand-held fans, Legong tells of love, heroism an loyalty through a choreographic style both abstract and expressive, and which has set the standard for many newer dance forms which followed. Its shining costumes are the trademark of the dance which was developed under the patronage of the royal courts of the past.

Legong is an inheritance from the courts and court culture. It is a creative art form which gave prestige and dynastic status to the former rulers. It's glittering individuality is difficult to mimic, and its image smiling faces with flashing glances, are easy to find in books, tourism brochures, post cards and so forth.