Bali has long been known for its deep spirituality and extraordinary artistic heritage. The dances; dramas; puppetry and music of Bali are more than icons for the island; they are part and parcel of lifemdash;as expressions of devotion to the gods; as entertainment; and as a way of instilling cultural values on each generation. Balinese Dance; Drama Music is a lavishly illustrated introduction to Balis celebrated temple orchestra; the gamelan; to its ancient shadow puppet theater; and to a myriad of traditional and contemporary dances and dance-dramas that continue to enthrall locals and visitors alike. Ideal reading for visitors to the island as well as for anyone interested in Balinese culture; the book presents the history and function of each performance genre; with illustrations and photographs to aid in identification. Introductory sections discuss the way performing arts are learned in Bali and the basic Balinese values which are passed on in these forms; as well as some of the basic religious and cultural tenets that are expressed in the arts and the functions of the forms themselves. Different sections describe particular forms of performing arts; such as Gong Angklung; Legong; the Keraton dance; Wayang Kulit; and the new phenomenon of womens gamelan groups; the evolution of each and the place it has in the culture of Bali. The book is enhanced with a bibliography and discography and over 150 specially prepared watercolors of Balinese performers and performances.
#3602556 in eBooks 2012-12-06 2012-12-06File Name: B00AJKFG46
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. BW QABy G. Gutierrez needs to re-think their claim of compatibility with e-Ink Kindles on this one. Either that; or SyFy/Trion should release a simpler version for grayscale displays. I downloaded this one to my 2012 Kindle; to have handy while watching the show; and it is illegible. If you have a color tablet; or plan to read it on your computer; its fine. I ended up spending 15 minutes on the official Defiance website to get all the backstory. Essential Guide deleted. But its not like I want my money back or anything. Heh.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. How to be really confusedBy Three Bearsi had a really hard time getting this thing to load up and read it. Then; the "explanations" of who; what and what the heck was that?--well they are just so short and not very fulfilling. Plus; it assumes you know who these people; or races or nations all came together. It is just as easy to watch the show and be entertained0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A good primerBy Magic Mike JIf you knew nothing at all about this SciFy series this would be a great primer to introduce you to the world. I dont expect there are too many people who havent heard about this; since weve been inundated with promos and commercials for it since the beginning of the year.It does include some nice background info; and has lots of pretty pictures and illustrations. If you play the game on PC; Xbox or Playstation; it has a number of redeemable codes in it as well for getting some little goodies.The price was right (free) since its mostly an advertisement for them; while it still includes a few things that are nice to know; and you might not find out otherwise.