Balinese Dance

Balinese dance and music are part of the cultural heritage in Bali.  Many of the dances are rooted in the Hindu religion and the ancient stories.  While in Bali, we were able to attend three different performances.

The first was the Barong Dance performed by the Semara Kanti troupe, with music accompaniment on the gamelan instruments. I didn’t completely follow the story line, but was surprised by the violence depicted.

The second performance we witnessed was the Kecak Fire and Trance Dance performed by the Padangtegal Kaja troupe.  One of the unique aspects of the kecak dance is that the gamelan instruments are not used.  Instead a choir of one hundred men provides the music behind the dance. Near the end of this performance, a fire it lit in the middle of the performance area (a little scary) and a dancer made up like a horse walks through the fire and kicks the coals.

The last performance was my favorite, the Legong Dance performed by the Bina Remaja Troupe. The costumes and make up of the performers were very elaborate.

All of the performances were very interesting.