I Ketut Kodi is one of the most noted performers of topeng mask dance and wayang puppetry in Bali today. These are two of the most important Balinese arts in that they have exorcistic power needed to complete religious ceremonies. The topeng dancer, like the dalang, is part entertainer, part philosopher, and part exorcist. Kodi teaches at Institute Seni Indonesia (Indonesian Institute of the Arts, formerly STSI) in Denpasar and performs all over the island, often multiple times in a single day. The following interview gives insight into the practice of this important artist who has experienced both the traditional method of training under a village master and the modern method.
After a terrorist bomb exploded in the Sari Club at Kuta Beach, Bali, in October 2002, a topeng performance of Sidha Karya (literally "completing the ritual work") was presented by I Ketut Kodi and other faculty members from STSI-Denpasar, the Indonesian University of the Arts. The mask dance performance, held at the village of Sidha Kaya in Badung, Bali, was an exorcistic response to the terrorist attack and probed Balinese responses to the event. The introduction gives background on the story and analyzes the way the narrative reflected both current social issues and traditional Balinese philosophy.
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