34th Bali Arts Festival 2012 brings together the Best of Bali in one month

The fabled island of Bali will this year again roll out the annual Bali Arts Festival to be held from 9 June to 7 July 2012, at Denpasar, capital of Bali.

For one full month, the best of Bali’s dances, music, and artistic expressions will be on display as this tourist paradise showcases its best cultural presentations. There are daily performances of dance and music alongside countless related cultural and commercial activities during which literally the whole of Bali comes to the city to present its offerings of dance, music and beauty.

Trance dances, classical court dances, stars of Balinese cultural stage, odd village dances, food and offerings contests, modern innovations on classical dances, flower arrangements, fashion shows, films, and more are on the month-long agenda. Cultural performances from other Indonesian provinces including Central Kalimantan, North Sumatra, East Java, Riau, Jakarta, Solo and many others will also be presented,  bringing their own traditional as well as most contemporary choreographies.  

In Bali, for months now competitions have been held in villages to select their best cultural groups to vie for a slot in the Arts Festival to perform in front of large international crowds who have thronged to the island.

 For its 34^th Bali Arts festival, organizers have chosen as theme of the Festival : “Paraos-paros”, meaning :  Dynamic Togetherness. The event itself will be highlighted with fascinating features among which are dance dramas (Sendratari), Bali Modern theatre, Gong Kebyar maestro, Photography Workshops, culinary festivals, and musical performances. There will also be exciting competitions such as documentary movie competitions, handicraft competitions, literary writing, painting, photography competitions. Parades and processions will also be presented including the Parade of Flowers and coconut leaves arrangements, a culinary and fashion Parade, Nglawang Parade, Dramatari Arja Parade, Gong Kebyar Parade, Semara pagulingan Parade, Joged Bumbung Parade, and many others.  

Each year, at the Bali Arts Festival  are featured classical dances of the island, such as the legong, gambuh, kecak, barong, baris, mask dances and the like, on which contemporary dance choreographies have been created and old village dances and activities revived. Over the years, the whole range of classical Balinese folk stories – such as the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Sutasoma, Panji - have thus been turned into "colossal Dance dramas”  known as  Sendratari.

While major performances are held at the amphitheater which can hold up to 6,000 spectators in a temple-like stage, others are held at locations across the city and surrounding areas.

Since most of the art and cultural activities in Bali are motivated by religious devotion, artists will attempt to create their best works.

Through its 34 years history, the Bali Arts Festival has been a media to rediscover and preserve the unique and celebrated arts and culture of Bali, at the same time increase its people’s welfare. Through this special annual event, it is hoped that the true authentic wisdom and philosophy of the people of Bali will not only be preserved but will also grow and spread to other parts of the world.

For more Information and detailed Daily Program click the official website of the event: http://www.baliartsfestival.com/

Source : www.indonesia.travel