Traditional Balinese Dances Culture Calonarang

Changes in Bali faces Calonarang performances lately interesting to observe. Lately dramatari Calonarang, including other similar arts such as puppet Calonarang, Arja Calonarang (Basur), cederung become increasingly fierce and challenging with ditonjolkannya scenes that show exhibit immunity and inner strength.
In Bali Dramatari Calonarang show is a traditional Balinese performing arts acting out stories concerning the battle between left-wing black magic (pangiwa) and right-wing white science (panengan). 
Central figure is Calonarang or Walunateng Dirah (the widow of the king who resided in Dirah) who perform black magic, and the professor Bharadah, Brahmin priests of Weak Writing, which holds the doctrine of white science. In fact in this story there are elements of black magic and white balanced.However, because the role Calonarang (in the form of big matah and Rangda) are dominant, then the image that emerges is that Calonarang is a dramatari about black magic.

Calonarang story tells of a series of events that occurred during the reign of King Erland in Kahuripan (East Java) in the IX century. He tells the widow's magic act and a black science teacher from Dirah named Calonarang who attacked the kingdom of Daha which caused the collapse of many innocent human lives.To stop doing this Mangali Ratna berputrikan widow, King Erland ask for help to a Brahmin from the Valley Write a named professor Bharadah, who with the power of science beat Calonarang white. As for the parts that commonly staged Calonarang story is: Katundung Ratna Mangali, Iyeg Rarung, Kautus Bahula professor, and Pangesengan Baingin. The Balinese also include stories Balian Batur, Basur, Sudarsana, Patih Prabangsa, and Dayu Datu, a little more about black magic, as the play Calonarang. 


Dramatari Calonarang, which until now still favored by the people of Bali, now has expanded into three variants: Classical Calonarang, Calonarang Prembon, and Calonarang Anyar. All three are still showing the play-play issues related to black magic (pangeliyakan), each presenting the play Calonarang variants use different elements of art, with the show structure and focus of different aesthetic. 


Calonarang Classic, which is expected to appear around the end of the nineteenth century in Gianyar Region West (Batubulan, Singapadu, Sukawati), formed by elements Bebarongan, Pegambuhan, and Palegongan (three types of classical performing arts are well developed in Gianyar regency). Babarongan element represented by barong ket, Rangda, and celuluk; Pegambuhan by leaning, princess, sweet vizier (Panji) and hard vizier (Pandung); and Palegongan by sisia-sisia. Other important roles that were born from this dramatari matah itself is big (old lady) and bondres (village people who inherently funny). 


Performing Calonarang Classic (like the one in the village of Singapadu, Batubulan, Sukawati, and surrounding area) includes three parts: the opening (pategak), presentation of dance and drama (paigelan), and cover (panyuwud). Part paigelan still be separated into two: dance off (pangelembar) and dance perform in a play (Lampahan). To start the show, usually played percussion played with a gamelan pategak Bebarongan or Semarpagulingan (gamelan gong lately kebyar also widely used). 


Calonarang Prembon dramatari Calonarang is essentially a mixture of (per-added-an) which combines elements of performance art Bebarongan, Pegambuhan, Palegongan, and Paarjaan. Paarjaan roles to be included in Calonarang include: Residents, Galuh, sweet orderly, and orderly buduh. In the show dramatari Calonarang Prembon happen dialogue between the roles that use dialogue and the use dialogue Pagambuhan bertembang (magending) as in Arja. In general, the structure of the show Calonarang Prembon not much different, it can even be said to follow Calonarang Classical. 


Versatile artist I Made Sija (Bona) estimates that Calonarang Prembon emerging around the beginning of the 1970s, or about two decades after the emergence dramatari Prembon Mask, as a result of the popularity of Arja. Furthermore it is said that the emergence of this magending Calonarang dramatari because of the emergence of society pressure to insert the stars into Calonarang Arja, while their more usual nembang (macapat) from the nandak follow the melody of gamelan. It is noteworthy, since the 1970's Calonarang Prembon become increasingly popular in the community. Many predict that this is caused by the possibility that once Calonarang Prembon to satisfy appetite Calonarang lovers and fans Arja. 


Newer Calonarang (Contemporary) is a form of development Calonarang dramatari the most recent. The group began performing dramatari Calonarang with a different structure with the two forms Calonarang mentioned before is Gazes Denpasar through the show twice during the last two months in Stage Ardha Candra, Taman Budaya Denpasar (in 2003). 


As seen in the staging of "Balian Batur" in October and November ago, dramatari Calonarang Anyar basically a multimedia spectacle and drama of art serving Calonarang acting out stories or the like, are colossal, by combining various media, among others, taken from Calonarang Classical, Puppet Power, art Ogoh-ogoh, Wayang Kulit Calonarang, Contemporary dance, and art exhibitions pangeliyakan. 


As an accompanist performances this Calonarang used gamelan (Semarandana), which coupled with the keyboard, guitar, and jembe. On the sidelines of the show sound sound effect is played with a keyboard. 


One thing that is highlighted is the exhibition of immune inner and black magic (pangeliyakan). On the show, held twice recently, the group leader as well as director since early this Calonarang already told the audience, especially those with expertise "aji ugig", that in certain parts of the show they are welcome to "attack" him, or the other psychotherapy Mangku and experts who participated in this performance, with whatever magic they own. 


The "smart people" who were invited specially for this event is placed in a separate seat. In between performances conducted lectures, dialogue, and demonstration of strength in by experts, and at the end of the show displayed bangke-bangkean. In both these performances show no less than nine Rangda with colors and different characters. 


There are several types of traditional Balinese performing arts that can be incorporated into the art of playing the play Pacalonarangan because Calonarang or the like. Can be called, among others: Barong Ket Calonarang, Wayang Kulit Calonarang, Legong Keraton Sudarsana, Joged Calonarang seclusion, Andir Patih Prabangsa, and Arja Basur. Lately, also drama Gambuh Gong and play-act play Calonarang or the like. Due to the performing arts-the arts to Rangda figure (and also barong) plays an important role, and in each performance Calonarang always displayed scenes inner power struggle, it appears an impression that all Balinese performing arts featuring Rangda is Calonarang, and each performance is Calonarang adu exhibition immune from powerful people. 


FACE Calonarang performances (Classical, Prembon, Contemporary) has turned into a horror show that terrorized the audience with scenes that contain science immunity. Indeed this is already there since the first, but in the last ten years has become one element of the show is getting an advantage. 


Informants I Made Jebeg Sija and I Wayan said, invited-invited scene liyak openly and publicly, as well as the funeral procession (nusang-nusangan), began to appear in the show a lot of Classical and Calonarang Calonarang Prembon since the 1970s or early 1980s. Here the "special invitation" was addressed openly to each person to attack a player for a supine corpse in the middle stage, or if still not satisfied, they are welcome to attack his companion. The Host explicitly provide flexibility of time for those who want to attack him, complete with addresses and phone numbers. 


Although the appearance of the funeral procession has existed since the 1940s, according to the artist I Wayan said Jebeg from Batubulan, this procession is accompanied by invited-invited liyak. Furthermore it is said that the secrets of black magic or white science is usually wrapped into certain parts of the show.For example, in the sisia ngereh, the role of skew will mention his supernatural powers "younger brothers", including the magic that has been given by the queen (Walunateng Dirah) to arouse their enthusiasm.When pandung will stab Rangda still asleep in trajangan, these figures could reveal supernatural powers possessed by Ni Rangda at once explain the sciences that can match it. At the scene bondres the players often make the art pengliyakan as a joke (to break the ice for an audience not too tense or frightened).Finally on the scene Rangda, invited-invited Calonarang figures, but with the intention of calling at the same time inviting the men to face her mother to go chase the enemy (Patih Taskara Maguna) who had attacked him unexpectedly. 


Invited-invited scene like this is something that is common in Wayang Kulit performances Calonarang.Some of the Wayang Kulit Dalang Calonarang invited to make part-invited liyak this as one element that is highlighted performances as well as charm. In this section the mastermind openly and blatantly say "identity" of people who have and practice black magic, a place where the relevant gain supernatural powers, the level of the person, sometimes stating the price of the belt held pengeliyakan someone. 


Pair wave popularity with the show exhibit Calonarang kakebalannya science reminds us of the popularity of art Janger tidal wave in Bali, with various political provocations in the mid-1960s. In the midst of art Janger wave that swept across the island of Bali, people become confused do not know where to go.Society experienced a period of uncertainty and difficult to control, which often also called "jangeran." Climax is a national tragedy, Movement 30 September 1965 by the PKI, which claimed many lives of innocent human beings. 


IF we reflect on the performances Calonarang, in the face of increasingly fierce with many servings of black magic and exhibition kekebalannya, we can see the reflection of a reality due to the occurrence of moral decadence, social crises, and cultural in this republic. It has long been, and still lasts even lately shown an increasing trend, we see black and rotten behavior of the nation's elites are not responsible, who with arrogant to undermine the country's wealth to enrich himself. 


More and more we hear there will be people who do no evil and violence, or that use engineering and deceit rotting like "science-black", and who behave completely upside down (nungkalik), or who like to twist the facts according to their importance as conducted by liyak-liyak in Calonarang performances. 


Towards masterpiece, party democracy general elections, we should be more vigilant to face people who are "crazy" that no longer can distinguish between good and evil, between who can and who shall not, and so on, which is not much different from what Calonarang done only with the men who exploit the black side of science calwanarang (balanced) to destroy the kingdom of Daha, in order to wreak vengeance and hate at the same time to show his strength and power. 


Will come a professor Bharadah that with sincerity and honesty of heart willing and able to reverse even stop the influence of the power of "black magic" that had penetrated into the souls of many of the nation's children for this republic could survive the destruction? Frankly, no one knows for sure the answer to this question. We can only pray and sincerely hope, may not be long before the nation will emerge savior figure who has the ultimate power as depicted in dramatari Calonarang.