Follow the beat: Traditional musicians play gamelan percussion instruments to accompany the dancers.

It certainly was the most anticipated dance of the day and joged dancers from Bali’s regencies and towns have proven that they really can fulfill the exuberant longing from their fans for the dance floor.

The joged is a free-style dance allowing each couple to adjust their dance movements to the beat and rhythm of the gamelan orchestra. The gamelan orchestra will do their utmost to make their musical rendition hot, and the hotter the better. The music makes the couple on the dance floor swirl, spin and gyrate around each other in dynamic movements.

Cultural animals: Mahout from Bali Safari Park participate in the month-long Bali Arts Festival in Denpasar, which ends with elephants being ridden to Renon Square.Disregarding social barriers, both young and old can participate in the dance event, a highlight of the one-month long Bali Arts Festival held in Denpasar recently. Even tourists from as far as Australia, the US, Spain, Brazil and Germany tried their versatility and creativity by expressing themselves on the dance floor.

Inviting: A woman beckons a foreign tourist to the arts festival.Those who aspire to try out their artistic dance skills with Bali’s joged dancers will take home a memorable experience from their stay on The Island of the Gods.

A tourist from Spain, Carmen de Barros Sanchez, who was very excited after having a chance to demonstrate her creativity on the dance floor said, “It’s wonderful being invited to dance with a beautiful Balinese dancer with all the spectators here watching you.” She added that she managed to quickly adjust herself to the rhythm of the gamelan music as well as the dynamic movements of the Balinese dancer, as it had similarities to the flamenco dance in Spain. And yes, she hopes to visit Bali again next year to attend the same event.

Another tourist, Arnaud Jeanjean of France (wearing an orange shirt in the photo), also said that he was very excited when asked to come down to the dance floor at the
Ayodya amphitheater, and expressed the hope that he had made a contribution to entertaining the audience.

A local fan of the popular dance, Ketut Arya Wiguna from Denpasar, said that joged was his hobby. He would do all he can to enjoy himself on the dance floor with a joged dancer, even if it meant traveling to distant places such as Singaraja or Tabanan.

Mixed dance: A visitor dances with a woman in traditional dress.
Meanwhile, a member of the team of jurors, I Nyoman Cerita, reminded me that the joged dance, though still very popular, should still be enjoyed by abiding by existing norms. These are esthetics, logics and ethics. The first norm designates that the dance event should develop a sense and appreciation of beauty among the audience.

If this norm is being upheld through graceful and flowing dance movements, the dance event becomes entertainment. The second norm, logic, reminds all participants to always mind their surroundings, the place and the atmosphere of the event. And the third ethical norm suggests that civility and good relations among all participants are to be observed

Each joged session starts with the tying of a sash around the waist. Jurors at the event watched each couple’s ability to modify their dance moves with fluidity.

The organizing team for this dance also ruled that each dancer could invite four to six partners to dance with them. With four dancers on the list for every evening dance, both enthusiasts and fans can experience an enjoyable evening.

And for those who haven’t yet been invited to the dance floor, they need not feel disappointed – as they can always return the next evening and try their luck.

— Photos by Retno K. Djojo