In this ten-week series of in-person classes, senior Sekar Jaya ensemble member Casey Lee will cover the fundamentals of female style Balinese dance demonstrated through the classic welcome dance Tari Pendet. If time allows, later classes in the series will also cover the basics of male-style dance, including agem (posture) and malpal (walking).
Video of Tari Pendet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoMOR2uVpmI
This class is perfect for both total beginners and students who have already studied Balinese dance, including previous classes with GSJ or short-term study in Bali.
Students of all genders are welcomed. Students must be at least 12 years old.
10 weeks:
June 23 - September 1 (no class August 18)
2-hour classes
Sunday 3:00 - 5:00pm
Sliding scale class fee for ten sessions: $50 ($5/class) - $400 ($40/class)
When choosing your sliding scale rate, please keep in mind that GSJ depends on the generosity of its community to support high caliber artists and programming. Thank you!
Casey Lee has been studying and performing Balinese dance since the age of seven. Having studied with some of Balis most accomplished dance teachers, she has developed a strong technical base in Balinese dance technique, and a deep love of the art. In addition to dancing for Gamelan Sekar Jaya, she is also a member of the Balinese music and dance group, Burat Wangi, and the Javanese music and dance group, Kyai Doro Dasih. Photo by Ot Sukardi.
Due to a change in schedule, the first class of the series (June 23) will be taught by senior ensemble member Monali Varaiya.
Monali Varaiya dances and plays music with Gamelan Sekar Jaya and has served as a local banjar resident, ensemble coordinator, and guest artist liaison. She recently taught an introduction to Balinese dance class with Sekar Jaya in Fall 2023. Passion for personal growth, healing, and aesthetics has led her to the interconnected cultural and spiritual traditions of Bali and India, including Vedanta and yoga, Balinese performing arts, wayang style painting, and feminine embodiment methods. Her Fulbright research focus in Bali from 2019-2021 was Yoga and Yadnya in Balinese Masked Dance and Vaidika Knowledge Systems and Art. She balances out her interest in arts with a profession is in biotech. Photo by Philip Vy.
