Word: balis
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1950-1959
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Dancers of Bali Gamelan Orchestra (Columbia). Deep gongs, cymbals, gangsas (marimbas), reyongs (small tuned gongs), angklungs (rattles) and finger-drums, played with astonishing variety of tone and precisely stumbling rhythms by the Indonesian musicians now touring the U.S. (TiME, Oct. 6). Good fun, and a rattling good test for "hifi" phonographs...
Star of the show is Ni Gusti Raka, twelve. Her big moment comes in the classical Legong, in which she dances in an intricate trio for about five minutes, suddenly breaks off (at home in Bali, this part of the dance might last an hour), trots offstage like any twelve-year-old, and returns with a pair of golden wings to portray the Bird of Evil Omen...
Manhattan showgoers, who generally like their musicals loud, fast, brassy and flashing with luscious showgirls, were skeptical about the Bali Dancers: the female star was going on 13, and they doubted that the gamelan (orchestra) could play Bali Ha'i or any other pop tune. But the first curious audiences spread the word: it was a wonderful show...
Curtain Calls & Candy Bars. At first the dancers were confused by the applause (in Bali, there is no clapping...
...tour was the idea of Britain's John Coast. He was a P.W. in southeast Asia during the war, later married a Javanese girl and settled in Bali to write (Recruit to Revolution) and to organize a troupe of dancers. His wife Supianti is assistant producer, costume designer and "mother" to the cast's nine girls. They will take the troupe from Boston to Washington late this month and from Cleveland to Los Angeles later this year. As for Manhattan, it has bought up tickets so fast that the Balinese have agreed to come back for two additional...