KDA: A Life in Dance
My name is Kadek Dewi Aryani. I grew up in a small Balinese village, where the sound of gamelan drifted from temples and ceremonies hummed with life. I’m KDA, and performing art is my life, shaped by my family and my drive to share Bali with the world. My father is a master of Topeng dance, making the temple courtyard come alive with his masked performances, telling stories of gods and spirits. When I was a little girl, I watched him, eyes wide, trying to copy his steps, even if I tripped over my feet. My brother, Gus Teja, one of Indonesia’s most famous flutists, plays his suling at home. His music, so soulful, hit me deep, like it carried the spirit of Bali itself. He’s taken that sound across Asia, the USA, and Europe, touching hearts everywhere (Gus Teja World Music). For us, art isn’t just something we do—it is our way of living.
I started dancing at age 4, moving to the rhythm of gamelan in our village, my tiny body trying to catch the magic of Bali’s dances. Those early steps, clumsy but full of heart, set me on this path. I studied at STSI Denpasar for Performing Arts and graduated in 2001. There, I learned the sharp, graceful steps of Legong and the bold moves of Baris, but I was restless to do more. I started mixing Bali’s old dances with modern ones, keeping our spirit alive but making it speak to today’s crowds. That was when I knew I could carry our culture far beyond our island.
My first time dancing outside Bali was in Japan, and I was shaking inside. Would they feel what I was trying to say? But when I danced, the crowd went from dead quiet to clapping so loud it shook me. That moment lit a fire in me. By now, I’ve danced in more than 15 countries— Singapore, Thailand, India, Canada, USA, Europe, Qatar. I’ve hit stages like the Hollywood Bowl, BAM New York, Amsterdam’s July Dance Festival, mixing Bali’s heart with a modern spark that makes people look (Instagram Highlight). In 2023, for the Qatar-Indonesia Cultural Year, I brought Indonesia’s spirit to Katara Theater. It felt like I planted a piece of Bali in that faraway place (Indonesian Embassy Article).
Singing is another way I share Bali. From temple chants to modern songs, my voice carries our stories, our feelings. I’ve sung on stages all over the world (YouTube Performance). One moment I’ll never forget was singing for the Bare Knuckle movie soundtrack with Evan Frangfrut in Hollywood. Hearing my voice in a film was like a dream I didn’t dare dream—a girl from Bali touching the world (YouTube Soundtrack).
When I choreograph, I tell stories my way. For A House in Bali, an opera with MIT and Cal Performances, I made dances that tied our old myths to something raw and new, like stitching two worlds together (MIT Article). Working with Gus at Pelangi Nusantara was electric—his flute, famous from Jakarta to Japan, wove with my dances to make something that felt like home but reached so far (YouTube Pelangi Nusantara).
Being in Netflix’s We Speak Dance, Episode 4: “Bali,” let me show what Bali means to me (YouTube Episode). Then there was Dewi: A Portrait of a Balinese Dancer by Kevin Bird. That documentary hit hard—it showed my father’s Topeng, Gus’s music, my dances—and every time I watch, my heart feels full and heavy (IMDb Profile).
Back in Bali, I run Sanggar Maha Tjandra. I dance, I teach, I throw festivals where artists come together. It’s a wild, beautiful mess, and I’m all in for it (YouTube Festival). I’ve also taught far away—NUS, SAS, MIT, Union College—showing people from everywhere how to move like we do in Bali. Their energy, their questions, they keep me fired up (YouTube Workshop).
My father’s Topeng and Gus’s flute, known from Asia to Europe, keep me grounded, but I’m always chasing new edges, new stages. From our village temples to Hollywood, from dancing to singing to teaching, I’m KDA, and my story is still being written, one word at a time, matching the rhythm of the Balinese spirit.
www.kda-bali.com
