Pendet Dance

Bali Personal Drivers - Bali Island is one of the the famous tourist destination around the world for its natural beauty and culture. Almost every day there are a group of domestic and foreign tourists visiting this island.

To welcome the arrival of the guests, especially when there are events an international scale, is usually carried in procession welcoming guests with a featuring of traditional Balinese dances. One of the dances that frequently staged is Pendet Dance. Pendet dance is a kind of Balinese dance with female characters. In its staging, Pendet dance is performed by young girls in groups or pairs are numbered 4-5. Each Pendet dancer will bring "bokor" (bowl), which is decorated with leaf and flowers. At the end of the dance the Pendet dancers will be laying flowers into the audience as a welcome greeting.

Pendet dance is one of Bali and Indonesian identity. Pendet dance also is the most attractive Balinese dances to be learned because the movements are quite simple compared to another types of Balinese dance.
In some big cities in Indonesia, such as Jakarta, Surabaya, and Medan, Pendet dance so popular among enthusiasts of Balinese dance. In Jakarta for example, Pendet dance is used as the basic material by Balinese dance studios that were there. One of the Balinese dance studio under the auspices of Saraswati Balinese Cultural Institute which is headquartered in Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) Jakarta, since the 1970s has remained teaches about Pendet dance. Even these institutions also provide opportunities for Balinese dance enthusiasts to learn gamelan (percussion) which will be used to accompany various dances of Bali, including the percussion to accompany Pendet dance.

The Sacred Pendet dance

Professor of Indonesian Arts Institute (ISI) Denpasar, Wayan Dibia, asserts that danced the Pendet dance have since long become an integral part of the spiritual life of the Balinese Hindu community.
The Sacred Pendet dance describe welcoming or a joyful reception upon the coming of the gods from heaven to earth. Although Sacred Pendet dance belong to the "Tari wali" or ceremonial dances, but in contrast to other ceremonial dances, which is typically requires specialized and trained dancers. Anyone could danced this dance, either which already trained nor the who still layman. Basically in this dance young girls just follow the movements of senior female dancers in front of them, who understand the responsibility in providing a good example. Not require intensive training.
The Sacred Pendet dance usually performed in groups or in pairs by women, and more dynamic from Rejang Dance. Displayed after Rejang dance in the temple yard and generally facing toward the sacred (shrines). The Sacred Pendet dancers will dress up by wearing ceremonial dress and each one of them will bring the offerings amenities such as "sangku" (holy water vessel), pitcher, bowls, and others.

The Modern Pendet dance

Pendet dance initially a worship dance that many exhibited in the temple, which describes a joyful reception upon the coming of the gods from heaven to earth. Gradually, over the times the Balinese dance artists then modify the Pendet dance became a "Welcome dance", which is done while laying flowers in front of the guests who come, like Aloha in Hawaii. Nevertheless it does not mean the Pendet dance then lose its sacredness, because in each performance Pendet dance still have some elements of sacred-religious.
Pendet dance is a dance performed by a group of young girls of about 4-5 girls, each carrying a silver bowl filled with flowers. At the end of the dance the Pendet dancers will sow the flowers into the audience as a welcome greeting.
Pendet dance not only displayed when welcoming the prominent guests, in every Balinese dance performances, Pendet dance, is always used as the opening dance.

Read also The History of Pendet Dance.

Reference : commons.wikimedia.org, isi-dps.ac.id
Photo : commons.wikimedia.org