International Body Music Festival

PUBLISHED July 1st, 2015 07:09 am | UPDATED March 27th, 2016 12:48 pm

International Body Music Festival, Keith Terry, Ubud, Dance Festival in Bali.

Body Musician Keith Terry says about the Festival: ‘If you’re curious about Balinese culture, if you’re drawn to the music and dance, there is no better opportunity to experience it from the inside out than this edition of the International Body Music Festival. The community celebrates the music and dance coming solely from the instrument we all share. It transcends cultural boundaries and provides inroads to cross-cultural experience. This particular IBMF will give participants the opportunity to delve deep into a rich local cultural experience, unlike any other Bali vacation.’


The Bali Kecak Dance traces its roots to the 1930s when Wayan Limbak first staged it in artistic collaboration with artist Walter Spies. With gripping coordination of movement and sound, it draws on trance dance and Hindu epics, elevating and wildly entertaining by turns.

The festival’s founder and artistic driving force Keith Terry says: ‘I’ve been collaborating with Balinese artists for more than three decades, and have always been particularly drawn to their Body Music style, Kecak. The interlocking vocal patterns, coupled with synchronized movement, story, humor, plus the incorporation of new ideas, specifically my own Body Music style, into the genre, has been a thrilling, ongoing intercultural collaboration.’



For 9 days (July 3-12, 2015), participants will stay at the Suly Resort in Ubud, travel to local villages, concerts, participate in workshops led by local Kecak performers and International Body Music artists, as well as enjoy traditional cuisine, study gamelan, tour cultural hotspots, and savour the beaches and spas.

In addition to concerts, workshops, cultural collaborations, after parties, the 7th IBMF Bali will culminate in a colossal Kecak, featuring 400 Balinese artists. Participants have full access to all events, plus resort lodging, ground transportation and meals.

Confirmed musicians:

Corposonic (USA)

Barbatuques (Brazil)

Pedro Consorte (Brazil)

Cambuyón (Canary Islands)

Cudamani (Bali)

Wayan Dibia (Bali)