We saw the Kecak dance in the Pura Luhur Uluwatu temple (south Bali) at sunset

Click on the photo to enlarge

Kecak is a form of Balinese dance and music drama that was developed

in the 1930s in Bali, Indonesia

We saw the show at the Uluwatu temple

Since its creation, it has been performed primarily by men, with the

very first women's kecak group starting in 2006

Also known as the Ramayana Monkey Chant, the piece, performed by a circle of performers wearing checked cloth around their waists, percussively chanting "cak" and moving

their hands and arms, depicts a battle from the Ramayana

The monkey-like Vanara helped Prince Rama fight the evil King Ravana

Kecak has roots in sanghyang, a trance-inducing exorcism dance

Kecak was originally a trance ritual accompanied by male chorus

In the 1930s, Walter Spies, a German painter and musician, became

deeply interested in the ritual while living in Bali

He adapted it as a drama, based on the Hindu Ramayana and including dance, intended for performance before Western tourist audiences

Spies worked with Wayan Limbak, who popularized the dance by arranging for performances by Balinese groups touring internationally

These tours have helped make the kecak internationally known

During the show we saw a beautiful sunset