ABSTRACT
Gambuh is the oldest continuously performed dance-drama form in Bali. It is a surviving, ancient court form that belongs to the bebali semi-sacred tradition. With a traceable history of at least four hundred years it has roots in the Majapahit Empire. A grand and complex performance, its gestures and music are firmly rooted in what is termed the Balinese classical style. The style is elevated and regal, suggestive of its court origins. Generally agreed to be the source of many later classical forms such as Topeng and Legong, it is also still a key source and influence on modern Balinese choreographers looking for a musical structure and design springboard for their work. In this sense, it is the bridge between the classical past and present within Balinese performance in general. It is as much a source to Balinese performance genres as Shakespearian plays are to English-speaking drama. It can be argued that Shakespeare gave us much of the language still current in English-language drama, and Gambuh gave to Balinese performance a complete language of body movement. In Gambuh, it is movement, gesture and structure that act as key sources. In each case, one dominating influence can be traced through centuries of work and is still important today.
