Balinese Dance Maestro - I Ketut Mario

BALINESE DANCE MAESTRO

I KETUT MARIO (1897-1968)
I Ketut Mario is thought to have been born in Belaluan village, Denpasar, and later grew up in Banjar Lebah, Tabanan. An aristocrat named Anak Agung Ngurah Made Kaleran, who loved the arts and gave much support to artists in his region, has been identified as his adopted father.
Mario first became a dancer for the Pangkung Gong club in Tabanan. In 1958 he went with the group to Paris, Holland, England, America and Canada, and in 1962 they toured America.
Mario was not only a dancer, he was a choreographer as well. His monumental creation Kebyar Duduk, or if danced with trompong, Kebyar Trompong, stirred a revolution in Balinese dance. These creations contrasted greatly with other dancers of the time, being performed for the most part in a stooped sitting position. The birth of Kebyar Duduk in 1925 drew an enourmous influence from gamelan gong kebyar when Mario became accidentally entranced by the music he heard played by the musicians of Bantiran village. Another Mario's choreography is Oleg Tamulilingan, which he did in 1952. It also gave a contribution for the development of the Balinese dance.
Taksu: Never Ending Art Creativity, Denpasar, Bali: Cultural Affairs Office Bali Province, 1998.