come dance with me

on the last day of the tejakula arts festival i went to see mitha performing on stage with 3 other girls in a balinese dance. i thought i would come early and photograph her as they put the heavy exotic make up on them, but that 4 hour ordeal was done at the home of the teacher, and not where i had arrived at, so i missed that. and as i sat with her family, happy to get a front row seat before the crowds arrived, i realized that the price i was paying was that my eardrums were being blasted by hard rock and electronic music at full full volume a meter from my face as background music before the traditional gamelon band would accompany the dancers...again the mayor came up to me, since we were sitting in the first row, but i had purposely sat us down on plastic chairs on the side, knowing that the upholstered sofas next to me would be for the elite (high priest of the village, governmental officials, mayors family....) and he shook hands with me and motioned that i am supposed to be sitting on the upholstered sofas...i motioned to him towards the 4 balinese that were with me so that he would understand that if i move, they move with me....he gave a glance, understood the situation, and chose to then motion at the little containers of water that were on the tables for free for the elite guests, so that, at least i should take a free water....thank you mr, mayor. and he walked away and continued scanning the crowds that were arriving in order to filter out who gets to sit on the sofas...

eventually the show began with three 2o year old balinese beauties that were as if dancing traditional balinese style but they had added a hip sexy twist to their movements and it was great! usually the balinese dancers are "wrapped around" with ceremonial cloth from top to bottom, giving the appearance of a colorful ice cream stick...flat chested, flat stomach, tall and thin. and then when they dance they stand quite erect and make sudden slight movements with their fingers, or eyes, or neck and lifting up parts of the material to hint at wings and tails of flirtation between 2 birds as they tell some drama of love or betrayal and overcoming the demons, etc. these girls added long long yellow scarves to their costumes and they made exaggerated movements of their hips and more sensuous slow hand movements to the rocking beat of the gamelons. when they were finished, or so i thought, they walked off the stage into the audience...as we all applauded. and then suddenly they were each taking their scarves and putting them around the necks of the guests...how cute! and when one came up and lassoed me with her scarf around my neck, still rocking her hips and waving her fingers, i thought, isn't that nice, and i smiled...but she quickly sign languaged me that this means i am supposed to stand up and join her in a dance on stage.
me being the "ham" that i am, laughed loudly and immediately i began mimicking the exaggerated hip and hand movements as we tangoed onto the stage, along with the two other lassoed men that were grabbed. i managed to remove my flip flops on the steps as i ran on stage following her, and the crowds loved it! laughing and applauding and enjoying the "kerioke'-esque" event. after a few minutes of me mimicking them she again sign languaged me that we are done and to return to my seat as she goes out to catch another innocent bystander for the entertainment. when i was seated i too was able to laugh and enjoy the hams that were up there having fun dancing with these attractive women....all men, with their sarongs, and all very talented, including the overweight mayor that looked so cumbersome until now, suddenly turning into a sexy balinese dancer too!

so if the villagers haven't noticed me until now....they finally had their chance to watch the strange foreigner that has showed up in their village enjoying all the interactions with them all whether at the temple ceremonies, or walking along the road with the ogoh ogoh parade, or sitting at the internet cafe, or just "jaleng jaleng" ("walking - walking")....which they don't really understand....since, why would you just be walking???