About us
Events
What is gamelan? Library
Book reviews
CD reviews
Education
Seleh Notes
Play gamelan
Performing groups
Buying a gamelan
For sale/wanted
Music
Podcasts
Visiting Indonesia
Links
Subscribe to our newsletter for details of gamelan events and information about what's new on the site.
Click on the link to get the subscribe address
For more information about RSS see the
help pages
Email
info
at gamelannetwork.co.uk
Balinese Dance, Drama and Music:
A Guide for Performing Arts of Bali
By I Wayan Dibia and Rucina Ballinger,
with illustrations by Barbara Anello
Periplus Publishing Group
ISBN 962-593-195-3 (hard cover)
This is a brilliant book in every sense of the word. Packed with photographs
and line-drawings it scintillates with the vivid life and colour of the
arts it describes.
The introductory chapters are followed by sections on gamelan, wayang kulit and dance and drama. As well as the general chapters, individual gamelan ensembles and dance genres are highlighted.
Other chapters include 'Learning to Perform', 'The Stories in Balinese Theatre', 'Dance Movements' - illustrated with drawings, and 'Make-up and Costuming' illustrated with photographs showing the elaborate make-up, which is an art form in itself. The book concludes with chapters on 'New Music' and 'Contemporary Dance and Drama Forms'.
The same overall format is used throughout - each chapter deals with a specific topic and begins with a short summary.
Every page is crammed full of information and illustrated with colourful photographs and/or line drawings. The writing throughout is beautifully clear and concise. I Wayan Dibia is renowned as a performer and teacher and he writes with the natural authority which comes from growing up with the art forms he describes.
This book is intended for anyone who has an interest in Bali, including tourists, who may wish to know a little about the culture they are visiting - there are some notes on protocol when attending a performance in the opening section.
So I will end where I began - this is a brilliant book. It contains everything the general reader could possibly want to know about Balinese arts, set out in an eminently readable format. I would recommend it to anyone.
To
return to top | Email enquiries info at gamelannetwork.co.uk
|