Women who break the rules of Balinese dance

Middle-aged actors play roles that were once reserved for men, challenging age and gender expectations in Bali. The post Women who break the rules of Balinese dance appeared first on JSTOR Daily.

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If you were asked to picture Balinese dancers, Luh Luwih might not be what comes to mind. Founded in 1995 as an offshoot of a pioneering gamelan wanita (women's orchestra), the 30-piece group is made up mostly of middle-aged women who, according to researcher Kathryn Diamond, "have performed every single male genre."

"The group presents something of a paradox in its choice of name," he adds. "Loh" means feminine, and "lawih" means positive, the essence of femininity... But this group shows its "femininity" by allocating masculine forms."

In one of Kechak's performances, the group features an all-female chorus and middle-aged female dancers instead of male singers accompanying the young women.

Diamond argues that as an increasing number of all-female groups take on dance forms once reserved for men, Balinese performers are challenging traditional gender roles in the performing arts. Dramatic dances such as the Wayang Weng, based on the Hindu epic Ramayana, and the Kechak, or "Monkey Song," have traditionally been off limits to women. For example, in wayang wong, performers act out fight scenes between monkeys and demons.

But Luh Luwih has introduced his artistic innovations far from such genres. For example, in one of Kechak's performances, an all-female chorus and middle-aged female dancers accompany the male singers. Young Women According to Diamond, the unprecedented participation of Balinese women in historically male performance traditions has been "generally empowering, both musically and socially, while also raising questions about modernity in the context of Balinese cultural values."

In addition to providing secular entertainment, the performing arts in Bali also have a deep spiritual dimension. For example, playing gamelan can be seen as ngayah or religious service. This form of negya was traditionally reserved for men, while women—who usually stopped dancing after marriage—used yah by preparing gifts such as rice cakes.

The history of Kuda Kepang, a Javanese horse dance whose ecstasy ceremony continues to spark religious debate.

Now, female gamelan players are also accepted as ngayah. As gamelan wanita has become more popular since the 1980s, Diamond says, “women are taking on more responsibility and responsibility by taking over areas of artistic expression that have been arbitrarily denied.

Music is not the only arena in which older women challenge traditional performing roles. Many now feel empowered to continue dancing - and are not content to be confined to roles traditionally performed by younger women. "Young girl roles are not a satisfactory vehicle for some women seeking a more appropriate representation of their life experience," Diamond writes. One of the ways that they have tried to expand their repertoire has been suitable for male roles.

Tourism has also changed Balinese performance traditions. The island's economy is increasingly reliant on visitors drawn to its cultural attractions. Tourists are eager to catch a glimpse of Balinese dance, but their expectations have also changed the way gender is performed.

Michel Piccard reports that the growth of tourism in the 1960s "prompted the creation of 'free dance' shows that are "detached from any link of a theatrical or ritual nature and follow each other only randomly". As a result, theatrical works have been adapted as solo dances, while some court dances have been simplified for tourist audiences.

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Tourists' perception of Balinese dance as feminine may discourage men from performing—potentially creating more opportunities for women to perform traditionally masculine roles.

Some women push the boundaries even further. They reinterpret traditional narratives to play "violent or aggressive roles" rather than solely as reformed aristocrats. For example, Kuk Savitiri—whom Diamond calls "one of Bali's most creative performance artists and an outspoken social activist"—reimagined the classic story of Panji Semerang in a 2003 solo performance piece, Aku Bukan Perempuan Lagi (I'm Not Another Woman).

At the climax of the main narrative, Prince Panji reunites with his wife Candra Kirana after revealing her male disguise. In contrast, Cooke's version of Savithiri portrays Candra Kirana as a disheveled princess – who, while in disguise, seduces both the prince and her lover. Although Bali has long been a destination for foreign artists and other tourists, Balinese female performers represent more than the models and muses of Orientalists.

By taking on traditional male roles and bringing new feminine perspectives to performed traditions, Balinese women "create new fusions that ... expand the aesthetic parameters of art identifiable as 'high,'" says Diamond.

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