CalArts Opens a Window on Bali for 2 Days at World Music Festival

Dancing is sort of the family business for CalArts composition and dance professor I Nyoman Wenten. His wife, Nanik, is a Javanese dance expert, and his father-in-law, KRT Wasitodininerat, holds the royal position as leader of court music and dance in Java.

Wenten is from Bali, where he has his own dance ensemble, which he tends to during his summer breaks from teaching. The rest of the year, Wenten teaches jaded Southern California art school students Balinese dance and music, which is unlike anything most Americans have ever seen.

A much larger audience will get a full two-day dose of Balinese music and dance during the final days of the CalArts World Music Festival. Wenten and the instrumental ensemble Gamelan Semar Pegulingan perform one of Wenten’s compositions, “Burat Wangi,” which shows off the virtuosity required to play the instruments that have been traditionally used to serenade Bali’s king and queen.

Wenten also directs the dance segments, each of which tells a different story. “Legong,” for instance, is the story of Princess Langkesari, who is kidnaped by the brash Prince Lasem. There’s also a shadow puppet show, accompanied by the Gender Wayang metallophone quartet, which is supposed to be Bali’s most difficult ensemble to play in because everything is played incredibly fast, with complicated counterpoint thrown in for good measure.

Speed is one of the trademarks of Balinese music. Wenten, who learned to play the ganga as a child (“It’s like a telephone, with 10 keys”) says the idea was to play the instrument as fast as possible. And since Balinese music isn’t written down, the whole thing has to be done from memory.

It’s the same with dance; there is very little documentation. Wenten is trying to change that.

“In the old days, a dance would take about 45 minutes,” he says. “But we’re losing the movements and now it only takes 10.” (Wenten also attributes the shorter performances to the forgoing of repetition due to impatient audiences.)

Fortunately, Wenten says, there’s no lack of interest in traditional music and dance among Bali’s youth. Every ceremony, from weddings to biannual Victory Day festivities, requires a knowledge of the intricate dance steps and music. “People always are asking, ‘Will you dance in my temple ceremony?’ ” Wenten says. “You have to be ready.” Wenten, who claims to dance every day, always is.

The CalArts World Music Festival features African music and dance today at 8 p.m. (African ethnic dinner at 6 p.m.), and Balinese music and dance Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m. (Indonesian ethnic dinner at 6 p.m.). Performances in the Modular Theatre, CalArts, 24700 McBean Parkway, Valencia. Tickets are $6 for general admission and $2 for students and seniors. Call (818) 367-5507 or (818) 362-2315 for information.