Blog 3 Polynesian Dance Comparisons

While the two videos both played Gamelan music, they were very different. When watching the videos, one notices the difference in setting. The Ratna Ayu performance was in a relatively new looking theater, while the Balinese Gamelan was performed on the beach, a more traditional setting for this musical event. The dress of the performers in California was very extravagant and exaggerated. This was most likely to attract the audience to Polynesian culture. The performers in Bali were not dressed as fancy. Instead, they were wearing mostly plain white. In the Bali video, there were not even dancers as opposed to the performance in California. Another interesting aspect of the two videos is the separation of the audience and the performers. In the California performance, the Polynesian dancers are on a stage and are distant from the audience. In the Bali performance, there is no stage and those who were watching could view the performance right next to the performers. This is significant because being near the performers adds on to the specialness of the performance, as well as involves the audience more. The two videos demonstrate the difference between Polynesian and American culture.