Dancers perform a Tri Hita Karana repertoire at Pura Dalem, as part of Wednesday night’s opening ceremony of the 2008 Ubud Writers and Readers Festival. (JP/Prodita Sabarini)

The body of Balinese dancer Nyoman Sura slowly appeared from under the red and green sheet. Taking his time, Sura first stretched out his hand, swaying side to side.

His lean shoulders were then revealed, and finally, in one swift move, he was free from the sheet. In ragged shorts, body painted with a tree design, he looked straight at the audience.

His 20-minute choreography, Tri hita karana, a personal interpretation of Balinese Hindu philosophy, was his contribution to the 2008 Ubud Writers and Readers Festival's opening event, "The Midsummer Night's Dream", held at Pura Dalem, Ubud on Wednesday night. The theme for this year's festival (its fifth) is "Tri Hita Karana: God Humanity Nature".

Tri hita karana is Sanskrit and translates loosely as "three sources of happiness". The Balinese believe that harmony in human relationships with the gods, each other and nature is the source of happiness.

After the performance, Sura said his sprawling out from the sheet symbolized the emergence of all life on earth, including humans, animals and plants.

Fourteen dancers from Sura's dance company, Sura Productions, were involved in the performance.

The dance told a story of the beginning of life. Dancers performed as birds, trees and deer, who were then attacked by greedy humans. As destruction mounted, the gods noticed the damage and prayers were made to heal the earth. The message? In the end, as long as there is harmony between the gods, humans, and nature, there will be balance.

The audience applauded Sura's performance, mumbling "amazing" and "awesome".

Sura, a lecturer at the Indonesia Art Institute in Denpasar, said the dance was a smaller version of the Tri hita karana dance that he performed, with 40 other dancers, for the 2006 United Nations climate change conference.

"The Midsummer Night's Dream" showcased other artists' interpretations of Tri hita karana too. A student troupe, Teater Angin (Wind Theater) formed a simple ensemble consisting of guitars, hand drums and singers. The melancholic voice of the lead vocalist, singing classic Balinese poems about nature, was heart-rending.

A local theater group from Banyuning, Buleleng, under the direction of Putu Satria, performed a humorous play titled Subak. The play was about how environmental degradation has threatened the lives of farmers who depended on water to irrigate their rice paddies.

The Ubud Writers and Readers Festival was officially opened by Balinese governor Made Mangku Pastika.

Under the Tri hita karana theme, the festival has put a strong emphasis on environmental issues this year.

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