The Baris Memedi Dance in Jatiluwih Village, Tabanan, Bali: a Preservation Strategy of Tradition Art

Abstract

The dance of The Baris Memedi describes a group of “spirits” (ghosts) who lives in some eerie places such as cemeteries, and mountainsides. This dance is danced by 7-15 male dancers. They dress up in clothes made of leaves, trees’ twigs and dry banana leaves purposely taken from local cemetery of the village. This dance exists in the village of Jatiluwih, Penebel Subdistrict,Tabanan Regency – Bali and this dance is performed in Pitra Yadnya ceremony. The performance uses gamelan Bale Ganjur. The supporting society believes that this tradition dance functions as a companion of a spirit who is being abeninto the heaven. This research is being conducted to know the existence of The Baris Memedi in Jatiluwih village. Therefore, the conservation strategy of this dance is important to keep the dance existing, being alive, and having ‘endurance or ‘fighting power’ so that this tradition dance will be known by both the present and the future generation. The special purpose of this research is firstlly to analyze the existence of the Baris Memedi dance in the implementation of Pitra Yadnya ceremony. The following purpose is to understand its preservation strategy as a tradition art so that this dance can live and last well until today.

To realize it, we are supposed to do it by strenghtening Tri Hita Karana which includes the harmony relation between human being and God, human being and other human being, and human being and their environment. By applying this method, the dance of The Baris Memedi can survive in accordance to the spirit of the age. The outcome hoped to be achieved in the preservation strategy of the tradition art of Baris Memedi dance is knowledge and cultural practice in the village environment which enables this dance to keep on existing

Keywords: The Dance of Baris Memedi, Preservation Strategy, Tradition Art