I Mario with Gamelan Orchestra [1928, Bali]
Identifier
F.2011-05-0066
Date Of Production
1928
Abstract
"I Mario" (I Ketut Marya) is a famous Balinese dancer who created the kebyar duduk dance in 1925, based on the gong kebyar style/genre of gamelan Balinese music that developed in the early 1900s. Gamelan is an Indonesian ensemble music most common to Java and Bali. A gamelan orchestra consists primarily of percussive instruments, especially metallophones.
This film appears to represent footage of I Mario performing: he first joins the gamelan orchestra by playing the bonang, and then demonstrates his kebyar duduk dance.
This film appears to represent footage of I Mario performing: he first joins the gamelan orchestra by playing the bonang, and then demonstrates his kebyar duduk dance.
Description
The film opens with a shot of musical instruments and their players arranged in a rectangular formation on a ground lined with light woven mats. Behind them, an audience watches. At the center of the rectangle sits I Mario, who is playing the bonang with two thin sticks, dextrously manipulating them not unlike a baton-twirler. He wears a long kamben, wrapped tightly around his upper body but loose and draped below, and an intricate head-piece. Mario takes a break during this playing to scoot back a bit and perform a brief dance while still holding the sticks. The dance involves small changes in facial expression as well as arm and wrist movements.
The film then cuts forward a bit to I Mario's full-fledged kebyar duduk, during which he is always crouched, never standing, and holds a fan in one hand. He moves both the fan and his free hand quickly; as they flick and flit about, he also sometimes undulates his neck and bounces on his haunches. The film cuts frequently to different segments of his dance, some of which are performed more slowly than others. Eventually, it ends while he is still dancing.
The film then cuts forward a bit to I Mario's full-fledged kebyar duduk, during which he is always crouched, never standing, and holds a fan in one hand. He moves both the fan and his free hand quickly; as they flick and flit about, he also sometimes undulates his neck and bounces on his haunches. The film cuts frequently to different segments of his dance, some of which are performed more slowly than others. Eventually, it ends while he is still dancing.
Run Time
4 min 25 sec
Format
16mm
Extent
100 feet
Color
B&W
Sound
Silent
Reel/Tape Number
1/1
Has Been Digitized?
Yes
Language Of Materials
English
Element
Print
Genre
Form
Subject
Related Collections
Related Places
Participants And Performers
Marya, I Ketut (is performer)
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