Bali Shadow Puppetry: An Elysian form of cultural theatre which hasn’t altered for centuries
Bali shadow puppetry is best known as wayang kulit in Indonesian where it originated from in Indonesia and has become part of Balinese society and, to the rest of the world, serves as a captivating insight into the cultural richness of the island. As is customary in many performances, they take place as part of religious events, festivals, and cultural happenings, and should not be missed by anyone who wishes to witness the genuine traditions of Bali.
The Balinese Theater: Bali Shadow Puppetry, a stylized composition of puppets, music, working together with a narrator, is performed in Bali. The puppets are usually blunted behind a transbulb screen made of white cloth, which enables the audience to focus more on the illustrations than on events surrounded by the action on stage. The words of the shadow puppetry character can be followed for those bling-eyed spectators.
How many levels are there in the making of Bali shadow puppetry?
There are in fact three elements in the making of the Batman shadow puppetry consisting of the puppets and the stories which were derived from Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata that were created in the actors’ imaginations. These actors conduct plays through songs, tapas and gamelans brought to life with suave accompaniment. An epic story generally involves the struggle of good versus evil, heroes and their righteous battles, and features derived ethics all combined with puppet action, gamelan background and the voice rendered by the dalang.
Why should someone watch Puppets?
Wayang Kulit is a captivating combination of leather puppetry intricately sculpted in stylized and colourful artworks. The puppets are highly stylized and beautiful combinations consisting of leather exceedingly well prepared illustrative artwork. Historian experts have suggested that almost supervised and bluffed cats were used in silhouette and Shadow Puppetry for educational purposes.
The Dalang: The Heart of the Performance
Each puppet's crafting has intricately defined meanings that go with its purpose, be they depicting divine beings, demons, animals, or any character from the Hindu epics. The display occurs behind the screen with light illuminating the puppets' silhouettes for spectators to view. It looks enchanting, as shadow is seen moving and dancing to the sentiments of drama in the narration. The dalang, an important individual in the wayang shadow puppet theatre, is tasked with the storytelling and the acting: they can change from one character to another seamlessly thanks to their voice and body language. There are often multiple characters in one story, and with such storytelling there comes a strong bond between the performance and the audience, this positioning making the Alang central to the performance's emotion.
The Role of Gamelan Music
Gamelan music, an insular music form, well known and loved in Bali, can rarely be absent from a performance of Wayang Kulit. Music is responsible for shaping the moments, creating atmosphere and emphasizing events on screen, such as the sounds produced during a clash of two armies or an event between nature and mortals. The culmination of everything is the narration and the accompaniment of the gamelan, putting the excitement of Wayang Kulit performance through the roof.
Experience Bali Shadow Puppetry
For foreigners who have the chance to be in the island of Bali, Wayang Kulit performances emphasize their visit, giving it cultural taste.
Bali shadow puppets can be seen in Ubud, during local performances, and where there are religious ceremonies in temples. If you are a culture lover or just want to get a deeper understanding of Bali’s spirituality, Bali Shadow Puppetry provides a great avenue to learn about the age-old customs of the island.