The unbelievable stories of people walking on fire or red-hot coals seems to be a myth of the imagination, for surely, it seems to be an impossible feat that no man can accomplish alone. Yet fire-walking is an ancient ritual that has been going on in South East Asia for thousands of years. The Kecak Trance Dance & Fire Dance have their roots in the sanghyang trance dance, which originated in Bali. The dance gives you a rare opportunity to witness one of the most unusual dances of all time. Inspired by Indian mythology, the Kecak Trance Dance recreates the ancient Sanskrit poem of Ramayana. The poem recounts the perfect love between Prince Rama, who is the personification of the Supreme love of all creation, and his wife Sita, who represents life on earth for all individuals. Rama and Sita are the union of love with life, for love is the energy of all life. Rama and Sita represent the union of the Supreme One with the individual, of heaven with earth. The poem tells of the lovers being separated in the forest, the capture of Sita by Rawana, and the rescue of Sita by Garuda and Hanuman, the Lord of the monkeys. 

The Kecak Dance merges elements from the Ramayana poem with traditional Balinese rituals, song, gamelan music and dance. In the Kecak, the chorus mimics the sounds of monkeys, while the gamelan plays in the background. The monkey sounds signal Hanuman's army helping King Rama save Sita. During the final moments of the performance, the audience is stunned to watch the "fire-dance" performed in trance, meaning the dancer is experiencing an altered state of consciousness in which he can perform powerful feats that no human alone can perform. The dancer is dancing with the divine. This performance is a must-see! 

Find the next Kecak Dance in Events Calendar!