Music and Dance of Bali February 21, 2009

The Bay Area ensemble Gamelan Sekar Jaya-acclaimed internationally for its innovative work with the music and dance of Bali-performs a dazzling array of pieces at the Mountain View Center for the Arts on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 8 pm, as it celebrates thirty years of artistic interchange with Bali. Spanning works both centuries-old and newly-created, GSJ will focus on themes that have helped define the sixty-member "Bay Area treasure" (Dancetera): balance, harmony, and collaboration across cultures.

The evening's highlight will be the world premiere of segments from the suite SERASI, Creating Peace Through Balinese Arts, by renowned musicians and dancers I Dewa Putu Berata and Emiko Saraswati Susilo, artists-in-residence for the 2008-2009 season.

One of the evening's star performers will be eight-year old Dewa Ayu Larassanti, who will perform the classical dance for young girls, Condong, the opening character of the dance Legong Kraton. She is the daughter of the two artists-in-residence, who are the directors of one of Bali's most vibrant ensembles, Cudamani, which has toured the world and attracted international acclaim.

The concert will also feature I Made Moja, a dancer with a multidisciplinary background in painting, shadow theater, and set design; and other company dancers skilled in the delicate hand and eye motions of Balinese dance.

Musically, the concert will showcase the wide sonic and orchestral range that resounds from this culturally rich island. GSJ's musicians will perform on two gamelan ensembles-percussion orchestras of bronze metallophones, gongs, drums, and flutes. These are bronze gamelan gong kebyar, requiring 25 musicians, and the four-tone ceremonial orchestra gamelan angklung; with about 18 musicians.

$24 general, $20 student/senior, $12 children under 12.

Official Website: http://gsj.org