The Warini Balinese Dance Foundation was founded by Ni Ketut Arini in 1974, but it created as Sanggar Warini in 1969, to preserve and pass on the finest in traditional and contemporary Balinese dance.
Hundreds
of students, from pre-school age to university-level, ranging from young
children taking their first dance steps to experienced adults are trained
in Balinese dance each month at the Warini Dance Foundation, Located in
Banjar Lebah, in the heart of Denpasar, Bali's capital city.
The foundation is adjacent to the Bali Art Center and the National College of the Performing Arts (STSI). The Foundation includes a large studio space with full gamelan instrumentation. Visiting students are welcome to come and take lessons in Balinese dance and other performing arts (music and drama).
Visitors are welcome to drop in and see Bali's living traditions being passed on to young and old, Balinese and foreign guest alike. Since 1970s, students of Warini Dance Foundation regularly win top honors in the dance competition of the Bali Arts Festival and many of graduates go on to professional dance careers.
Mission Statement
The Foundation dedicated to Conservation of the traditional Balinese Dance and developing the Balinese performing art.
The Founder
Ni Ketut Arini
Ni Ketut Arini is one of Bali's most revered teachers and performers and
an expert on classical and modern Balinese dance. She was born into a
family of artists in Bali's capital city, Denpasar. Encouraged by her
first teachers, she attended KOKAR, the Indonesian Conservatory of Performing
Arts, from the year of its inception in 1960. Her gifts became quickly
apparent and, upon graduation, she was asked to join the faculty. However
she attended both the College of Religious Studies and the National Academy
of the Arts before accepting the position at KOKAR (later known as SMKI,
the National High School of Performing Arts ).
I
bu
Arini, äs she is universally known, is famous throughout Bali for
several rea-sons. As a performer, her riveting interpretations offormative
kebyar-style works such äs Taruna Jaya ("Dance of the Victorious
Youth") and Margapati ("Kingof'the Forest") won her top
prizes and widespread recognition in the heady first years ofthe Bali
Arts Festival. She also became a skilied performer in various classical
styles, such äs legong and arja.
As a choreographer, she created several dra-matic works based on Balinese mythology and folklore, such äs the award-winning Legong Subraba Duta. But even beyond these achievements, Ibu Arini is one of the most highiy regarded teachers in Bali-an artistwhose unquestioned mastery of dance, passionate love of her art, and gentle spirit has made her a guiding light to thousands ofdancers and otherartists throughout Bali. She appears frequentlyon Balinese television in demonstrations and explanations of various dance styles äs an articulate spokesperson for one ofthe world's richest dance traditions.
In addition to her ambitious touring schedule (she has performed and taught in more than twenty countries), Ibu Arini has performed several times with the member Bay Area ensemble, Gamelan Sekar Jaya. She recently finished her second extended residency with the group äs Guest Dance Director. Sekar Jaya is currently producing a documentary video of her work, focusing on many dances now in danger of being lost but which still live intensely in the mind-and movements of Ibu Arini.
Ni Ketut Arini is one of Bali’s
most accomplished and versatile dancers and musicians and is celebrated
as a teacher and performer. Bu Arini was born in the same village, Lebah,
where her school now resides. Bu Arini comes from a family that have been
artists for several generations…
