Denpasar: The famous Kekak dance accompanied by hypnotic chants has become a symbol of the gradual recovery of the troubled tourism industry on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali.
The dancers have resumed their regular performances, though only for domestic tourists.
Kekak dance was developed as an art form in the 1930s by Balinese artist Wayne Limbak and German painter Walter Spies, who did not use any musical instruments, instead relying on human voices for the rhythm of their background. does.
It is an adaptation of the story from the Hindu epic Ramayana, which consists of 100 bare-chested male kekak dancers, wearing black and white checkered sarongs, who sit in a circle and chant kaka harmoniously throughout the show as The character dancers play the role of Ramayana. Like Hanuman, Ram, Shinta, Ravana and the golden deer in the middle.
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, many tourist attractions across the island have had to close, including the Uluwatu Temple Amphitheater in southern Bali, which has hosted kekak performances for years. However, as the global health crisis subsides, Indonesians are increasingly making their way to the island and hundreds of spectators watched the captivating show during the year-end holidays.
President of the Bali Tourism Board, Ida Bagas Agung Partha Adanyana, told Arab News: “We are very grateful for the arrival of domestic tourists. In December, an average of 15,000 domestic tourists enter the island daily. With limited international destinations and foreign travel restrictions, Bali remains the main destination for domestic tourists.
Recent visitor numbers have represented a significant increase in figures for July and August, the peak of the outbreak of the delta version of COVID-19, when the average number of daily trippers was between 700 and 800.
But despite officially reopening for direct international flights on October 14, Bali still faces a shortage of foreign tourists.
Adanyana said industry stakeholders and the government will review the situation based on the global development of the Omron version.
“If the situation looks good, we hope that the number of days of mandatory quarantine on arrival will be reduced, and the rules for international flights to Bali will be revised,” he said.
Restrictions during the pandemic have brought tourism – a lifeline for Bali’s economy – to a standstill, severely affecting life across the island, including kekak dancers.
“There are only two things that can stop the show – the COVID-19 pandemic and Nyepi Day,” dancer I Komang Adi Kusianto told Arab News, referring to the Bali New Year, or Day of Silence, when the main Hindu Islands are avoided. all activities.
After several adjustments, the group resumed daily performances in late October for a limited audience. The troupe’s spokesperson I Nyoman Adi Ardika said the dance had been changed slightly to comply with social distancing measures, including reducing the number of male chanters to 40, modifying formations that allowed close physical contact. required, and the use of face masks and face shields.
“The adjustment does not change the original composition, although the dancers admitted that it makes them less expressive,” Ardika said.
Despite the changes and the limited audience, 33-year-old Kusanato, who has been a kekak dancer since the age of 15, said: “We are really happy to be performing again.”
The pandemic hit her and fellow troupe members hard, losing their dancing and core jobs in the hospitality sector.
“I was not so surprised when the border was closed in March 2020. I thought it was only temporary for a few months. I never thought it would be this long,” Cuciato said.
He did odd jobs in between to meet his needs, including producing and selling large kites during kite season in Bali, and as a garbage truck driver for his village administration.
But now, as domestic tourists return to the island, Cuciato has resumed his main hospitality work, working as a bartender and barista at his brother’s restaurant.
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