Separating Intertwined Traditions into Balinese Music and Dance

This article investigates local ontologies and choreomusical views about classical and contemporary Balinese performing arts. Historically, co-presentational media such as dance, drama, music, and theatre have been closely intertwined. However, more recent trends see them increasingly separating into "bounded categories." This article reviews pre-"music and dance" terminology to highlight the significance of integrated sonic and movement systems. A range of classical Balinese performing arts are analysed to see if practitioners continue to embrace intertwined traditions or if contemporary artists create artworks that stand on their own. I call this a phenomenon of "ontological drift" where a discord occurs between artistic process and creative concept. I argue that although separating intertwined media into music and dance mimics an "art for art's sake" worldview, Balinese performing arts also negotiate pre-modern ontologies found in the socio-religious context of their creation.