The Ramayana Ballet () is a visualization and representation of the epic ''

Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...

'' saga, originally written by

Valmiki Valmiki (; , ) was a legendary poet who is celebrated as the traditional author of the epic ''Ramayana'', based on the attribution in the text itself. He is revered as ''Ādi Kavi'', the first poet, author of ''Ramayana'', the first epic poe ...

in the

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

language, in a highly stylized dance artform. Ramayana Ballet performance combines music,

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

and

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

. It is usually performed without dialogue. Originated in India, Ramayana has become a fertile source of artistic inspirations, especially in Southeast Asian nations that have traditionally been greatly influenced by dharmic civilization. Ramayana ballet or dance drama can be found in several traditions in Asia, namely as ''Sendratari Ramayana'' in

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

(Java and Bali), ''

Ramakien The (, , ; ; sometimes also spelled ) is one of Thailand's national epics. It is a Thai version of the ancient Indian epic ''Ramayana'', and an important part of the Thai literature, Thai literary canon. King Rama VI was the first person t ...

'' dance in

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

, and ''

Reamker ''Reamker'' (, UNGEGN: , ALA-LC: ; ) is a Cambodian epic poem, based on the Sanskrit's Rāmāyana epic. The name means "Glory of Rama". It is the national epic of Cambodia, along with the less famous version of the '' Trai Bhet''. The earliest ...

'' dance in

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

Performance

, Ramayana mainly can be found in two major dance traditions; the Javanese and Balinese traditions, presented as a complete set of performing art including dance drama and intricate

gamelan Gamelan (; ; , ; ) is the traditional musical ensemble, ensemble music of the Javanese people, Javanese, Sundanese people, Sundanese, and Balinese people, Balinese peoples of Indonesia, made up predominantly of percussion instrument, per ...

orchestra. In Java, Ramayana ballet is part of Javanese Wayang Wong tradition, as the performance combines traditional Javanese dance, drama, and

music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

. In Java, Indonesia, Ramayana ballet regularly performed in many places, such as: at the Hindu temple

Prambanan Prambanan (, , Javanese script, Hanacaraka: ꦫꦫꦗꦺꦴꦁꦒꦿꦁ) is a 9th-century Hindu temple, Hindu Candi of Indonesia, temple compound in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, in southern Java, Indonesia, dedicated to the Trimurti, Trimūr ...

, also known as Prambanan Ramayana Ballet; Purawisata Ramayana Ballet, at

Yogyakarta Yogyakarta is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by Hamengkubuwono, a monarchy, Yogyakarta is regarded as an importan ...

Purawisata cultural center; and Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta Hotel. In

Bali Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...

, Ramayana ballet is performed in two forms, as stylized ''sendratari'' (lit. ballet) as those performed in

Ubud Ubud () is a town in the Gianyar Regency of Bali, Indonesia. Ubud has no status, that is part of the eponymous Ubud District of Gianyar. Promoted as an arts and culture centre, Ubud has developed a large tourism industry. It forms a northern p ...

, or as part of

Kecak ''Kecak'' (, pronounced "kechak"), alternate spellings: ''kechak'' and ''ketjak''), known in Indonesian as ''tari kecak'', is a form of Balinese Hindu dance and music drama that was developed in the 1930s. Since its creation, it has been per ...

dance as those performed in Uluwatu temple.

References

Culture of Indonesia Javanese culture Theatre of Indonesia Traditional drama and theatre of Indonesia Dances of Java Works based on the Ramayana {{dance-stub

Performance

See also

References