MODERN PERFORMING ARTS AS A REFLECTION OF CHANGING BALINESE IDENTITY*

Abstract

Scholarly studies on the performing arts in Bali have been heavily focused on traditional dance and drama. Modern theatre therefore has not only become a neglected subject but is treated as though it is non-existent. This study focuses on the development of modern performing arts in Bali from the late 19th century until the 1960s. It begins with the arrival of the popular Malay theatre styles, stambul and later tonil, from Java, and describes the nature and impact of these two styles on Bali. It then proceeds to show how they were changed into sandiwara during the Japanese occupation and the period following independence, when western-style theatre was also introduced. The final theatre form discussed is drama gong, created in the late 1950s and achieving great popularity in succeeding decades. It discusses how these modern performing arts act as a barometer of changing ideas of Balinese identity, particularly in regard to drama gong which was considered modern when initially performed in Indonesian, but was then regarded as a ‘traditional’ form when performed in Balinese as a reflection of an increasing sense of regional identity.