Denpasar, In the City

Baris Cina Dance in Renon, Denpasar

The Baris Cina Dance is always danced by a female dancer. This dance has the theme of a warrior depicting a powerful soldier, the dancer is provided with a weapon and wears a colorful costume. The Baris Cina Dancer is interpreted as a readily combating team.

There are tens of types Baris Dance its name adapted from the weapon that the dancer carries and typical referred to as the Baris Cina Dance. The dance only exists in Renon, Denpasar South and has a Chinese cultural influence.
This unique dance arranges costumes with dance movements and music arrangements that use the Gong Beri (gong without snout). All dancers come up with their costumes. They also wear the sarong shawl (like hero) and wear black spectacles and hat, with a sword in their hand. The dance movement imitates the artistic motion of self-defense “Pencak Silat”.
The Baris Cina Dance is danced by 18 men dancers, usually staged to accompany the ceremony of Dewa Yadnya. They dance duration is less 20 minutes and starts by about 8 PM.
If you would like to watch this dance attraction, just come to Khayangan Tiga Temple, Renon. For the Desa Temple, just come on (odalan ceremonila celebration), which falls each Buda Kliwon Ugu, Puseh Temple on every Redite of Kuningan or Dalem Temple / dalem Lumajang on every Saniscara Kliwon ( exactly on the feast day of Kuningan), Kahyangan Temple of every Tumpek Wayang. The dance is often staged during the ceremonial celebrations of Petitenget Temple every Buda Cemeng Merakih, Sakenan Temple every Kuningan, Mertasari Temple every Purwani Kedasa.
According To Jero Mangku Baris alias Made Kunda ( 76), besides Gong Beri , another sacred item is the ancient sword. Baris Cina has survived till now because it’s supported by 175 “maksan” ( responsible for this dance). There are two Maksan; Maksan Alit who undertake as dancers, penabuh (instrumentalist), etc. Whilst Maksan Gede undertakes to repair all dancer’s costumes and complement the gamelan. “Renon Countryside owns 4 banjar, banjar Pande, Peken, Tengah and banjar Kelod which always act as Maksan Gede,” he said.
Explained further, it is not difficult to search for the existence of this dance. The interesting thing is those mentioned dancers have never conducted practice. Seemly, just by seeing how people dance, they can follow the movements of Baris Cina Dance. “ This dance movement is very simple,” he said.
Baris Cina Dance is the heritage of Renon society ancestors and is not exactly known when it precisely started. “Since I was kid, this dance had existed. My grandfather also had adopted this dance from his grandfather,” said the old man.
He recalled the story about a big wooden ship that was stranded at Sanur. “I don’t know exactly how many passengers there were, but 14 people were rescued. The ship carried a cargo of swords and castanets like ‘tawa-tawa’, ‘sungu’ and Gong Beri. “Society has preserved these artifacts, so to enable accompanment of the Baris Cina Dance,” he said.
Since the existence of this dance, Renon is often visited by actors, writers and researchers. Students and lecturers of ISI Denpasar also often participate in the Baris Cina Dance. Overseas Researchers which often come are from Italy, Holland, China, and Japan. “A lot of documentation has been written about the Baris Cina Dance of Renon starting from it’s history, dance movements and its unique cloths,” said Nyoman Mesir (41), a former dancer when interviewed interview by Bali Travel News.
According to Mesir, was a Chinese researcher who quoted a dancer saying that the Language in reality is come from Monggolia, China. “But,” he asserted, “that researcher has no idea about the meaning. Possibly it’s because it’s an ancient language.”

(BTN/015)