Of all the dances in Bali, the Kecak is by far my favorite. You will be seated on plastic chairs in two rows forming a semi-circle facing the actual entrance of the temple. Occasionally, due to rain, the dance is moved to a sheltered location, which is fine, but if you can, try to see it at the temple itself. The scenery adds a lot to the performance. The dance is accompanied by a "choir" of local village men making a variety of sounds I don’t even know how to describe. The men also participate within the dance, standing up or lying down and waving their arms at different times while the always beautifully poised women and a cast of comedic characters, including Hanoman himself, dance around a tall candelabrum in the middle, which along with other lit torches supplies the only light.
Like most other dances in Bali, The Kecak tells the tales of the ancient Hindu script, The Ramayana.
After the actual Kecak is finished, the fire dance begins. A man in a trance wearing a sort of horse costume walks on burning coconut embers with his bare feet until a priest is called in to throw holy water on him and bring him out of the trance. You may make donations if you wish to the fire dancer on your way out. He is always friendly and happy to have your donation.
Tip* Take lots of pictures of this. You won’t see anything like this in the West!
Not to be missed!