Evening star., 1952-10-27

stood every minute, lightning-faSt
gesture of the charming, graceful
and gorgeously dressed visitors
from the paradise of the Pacific.
Some in the audience may very
well have had this degree of un-
derstanding. il which case they
enjoyed a considerable advantage
over this occupant of JAZZ.
X X X
Ballnese dancers seldom are en-
countered outside of Bali but they
are clearly captivating ambassa-
dors Of their homeland. They are
contagious entertainers, just as
every one. including the late
James Norman Hall, has said. The
suggestion of their dancing is that
they spend lot of time enjoying
every movement of it, and also
that they begin to dance as soon
as they have mastered the trick
OF upright balance.
This latter is implicit in the fact
that the female principals of the
touring company are on the
threshold of their teens, or just
beyond it. Even in a group famous
for its precosity in the art of ma
turing. this is surprising. Pleasant
ly surprising.
In this respect at least, our own
children are more backward,
enough so that Nj Gusti Raka,
star OF the troupe. might be Of
fered as shining example of I
what 12-year-olds can achieve if
they set their awkward little bod
les to it. Raka. a vibrating reed, .
IS to the Dancers of Bali what 4
Margot Fonteyn is to Sadler's
Wells.
There are 18 dancers in the Bali
troupe, divided equally between
the sexes. They have brought
with them a 23-piece instru-
mental group. which the Balinese
call a gamelan.
Gamelans are as refreshingly
different as the dance group for
which they play. This one is made
up of percussion instruments, sup
plemented by an assortment of
gongS. 1t is dominated by a COL
lection of zitherlike instruments,
which are struck by what seems
to be claw hammers. but which,
on examination. turned out to be
made of wood
There is little of melodic de-
sign in Ballnese dance music, a
lack to western ears that is atoned
for by the movements of the
dancers.
Producer John Coast, who be-
came fascinated with Indonesian
dancing while prisoner of war
In 1914 and sponsor of the present
tour, recognizes the unfamiliarity
of westerners with his favorite
dancers. He not only provides pro-
gram notes but employs the serv-
ices of Mrs. Coast, a native of
1ndonesia. as narrator and COM
mentator.
The effect of the program
offered by the Dancers of Bali is
to confirm the impression that
theirs is a land of delight.
Let others have their split-atom .
civilization or their uuadriennial
political neurosiS, or both, the
Balinese will go on dancing the
Oleg, the Sajan dance with Aug
klung chorus. the Tumulilingan,
danger, Ende. Kebiyar, the
Barong and the Legong. j;
Some of these are as strange to-
the eyes of Westerners as the
names are alien to the ear. i
They do not remain strange in
the atmosphere of festival which
Mrs. Coast and the dancers, sing Il
ers, and members of the gamelan
create.
Nothing could be simpler in
deed than the Tumulilingan by
the time Raka and Sampih,
the principal male dancer, have
finished the number. It is the
story of a budding young female
humble bee who wanders into
her first garden and meets her
first member of the opposite sex.
The movements of this work by .
Mario, greatest Balinese choreog-