NEW YORK, NEW YORK, October 6, 2002: Since most Balinese dances are centuries old, people attend performances not so much for the stories as for the chance to see different interpretations of familiar roles. They judge the artists mainly on the eloquence of hand gestures and facial expressions. After so many years, Ms. Cenik has developed an attitude toward her art that is both secular and spiritual. “I think of it as my sport,” she said. “I teach or perform every day because it makes me happy. But I dance first for the Hindu deities.” At 82, Ni Ketut Cenik is the most venerated dancer in Bali. When she takes part in the “Master Dancers of Bali” program presented by the World Music Institute on Friday at Symphony Space in Manhattan, she will be performing outside her homeland for the first time. Ms. Cenik will perform a favorite work, the Joged Pingitan, a sacred dance inspired by the female deity Ratu Magelung. She will be joined in the program by I Made Djimat, 52, renowned for his interpretation of the fierce warrior dance Baris Tungal, and Ida Bagus Suteja Manuaba, 57, who will demonstrate his theatrical gifts in the meditative Kebyar Duduk. “I hope people will appreciate the beauty of our dances,” Ms. Cenik said.
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