Giri Kusuma, Â鶹ӰÊÓ's Balinese gamelan ensemble (Music 41), is directed by I Nyoman Wenten. The word gamelan means "percussion orchestra" and can refer to any of a variety of bronze, iron or bamboo ensembles found in southeast Asia. Â鶹ӰÊÓ has a collection of bronze instruments used for gamelan gong kebyar, one of Bali's most central types of gamelan music. Gong kebyar features rhythmically inventive and technically demanding interlocking melodies, punctuated by frequent changes in dynamics and tempo, and the different instruments in the ensemble accommodate a wide range of musical backgrounds. Rehearsals are Mondays from 4:15 to 6:30 pm, and no audition is necessary for participation in the ensemble. Giri Kusuma typically has one end-of-semester concert that features traditional and contemporary music and dance from Bali.
Dancers from the Dance Department's Balinese Dance class (Dance 150C), under the direction of Nanik Wenten, join the ensemble in performances.
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