Holiday Ayo - The Kecak dance is one of the dances that is quite popular on the island of Bali. Not only is it famous, this dance is usually also used as a ceremony to welcome guests or in religious ceremonies.

So, however, do you know how the Kecak Dance originated in ancient times so that it has become quite popular today? The following is a complete discussion regarding the origins of the traditional dance art called Kecak Dance.

source: Katadata

Kecak dance is a dance originating from Bali. This dance is also called the Fire Dance or Cak Dance. This dance is a mass entertainment performance dance. This dance is performed by several male dancers, wearing black and white checkered cloth coverings like the shape of a chess board.

This dance is played without using a musical instrument in the form of a gamelan. By sitting in a row forming a circle pattern and accompanied by a rhythmic call of "cak, cak, cak" while raising both hands.

This dance is a sacred dance. It appears that the dancers are burned by fire, but they do not experience pain and are not burned, instead they become immune to fire.

Apart from the Fire Dance or Cak Dance, the Kecak Dance is also known as the Sanghyang Dance which is performed during religious ceremonies.

At that time, these dancers are generally possessed by spirits, and can interact with the ancestors or gods who have been purified. He used these dancers as a medium to convey His words. When possessed, they take unexpected actions. For example, doing several movements that are quite dangerous or making sounds that they rarely make.

Wayan Limbak is a figure who created the Kecak Dance. In 1930, he introduced this dance to various countries, with the help of a painter from Germany named Walter Spies.

source: KOMPAS.com

The male dancers who dance will shout the words "cak, cak, cak". From this call, the name Kecak was created.

Not only do they shout that word, the dancers are also accompanied by music in the form of rattles. The sound comes from the sparklers tied to the legs of the dancers who play the Ramayana characters.

In the circle, the dancers then act. By playing a number of dances taken from several episodes of the Ramayana story, they tried to save Shinta from the evil hands of Ravana. Not a few of these Kecak Dances also involve visitors who are watching the dance action.