Probably the best known of the many Blinese dances, the Kecak is unusual in tht it does not have a gamelan accompaniment. Instead the background is provided by a chanting 'choir' of men who provide the 'chak-a-chak-a-chak' noise. Originally, this chanting group was known as the Kecak and was part of a Sanghyang trance dance. Then, in the 1930s, the modern Kecak developed in Bona near Gianyar in East Bali, where the dance is still held regularly.
The Kecak tells a tale from the Ramayana, one of the great Hindu holy books, about Prince Rama and his Princess Sita. With Rama's brother, Laksamana, they have been exiled from the kingdom of Ayodya and are wandering in the forest. The evil Rawana, King of Lanka, lures Rama away with a golden deer (which is really Lanka's equally evil prime minister, who has magically changed himself into a deer). When Rama fails to return, Sita persuades Laksamana to search for him. When the princess is alone, Rawana pounces and carries her off to his hideaway.