subject: Learn The Traditional Balinese Dance [print this page] Balis renown diverse and sophisticated Balinese art forms are found everywhere in Bali. From the Balinese-designed Bali luxury villas, to Balis thousands of elaborately carved temple facades and intricate flower decorations in a Barong dancer's headdress or even the traditional Balinese wood-carved decors and beautiful oil paintings in most Bali villas for rent.
The island paradise of Bali is said to possess one of the most diverse and innovative performing arts cultures in the world, with paid dance performances at thousands of temple festivals, private ceremonies, or public shows.
An integral part of Balinese culture, Balinese dances play a great part in the Balinese religious and artistic expressions.
Through these Balinese dances, the lifestyles of Balinese people are expressed as well as the "the Island of the Gods" famous history, tales, legends, epics and their gods are showcased.
Tourists as well as Bali villas guests can see these famous Balinese dances during birthdays, weddings, rituals and religious ceremonies and temples festivals.
Guests from villas for rent Bali are likely to see traditional dances with full gamelan orchestras as these are performed for tourists daily in addition to the day to day religious ceremonies.
Here are 5 Balinese Dances that guests in the villas in Bali can see:
Barong Dance
The Barong Dance features the battle between Barong (a lion-like creature in the mythology of Bali known as the king of the spirits, leader of the hosts of good) and Rangda (the demon queen and mother of all spirit guarders in the mythological traditions of Bali), representing the eternal battle between the opposing forces of good and evil.
A triumphant display of graceful movement and vibrant color, in the traditional Barong dance performance, one can witness Rangda dancing along the street to the calon arang dance casting black magic upon these soldiers, ordering them to stab themselves on their chest with their own kris. While Barong is seen casting magic and a priest throwing holy water at the male dancers that represents Airlangga's soldier to protect these men by making them invulnerable to sharp objects.
The dance will end in a final battle between Barong and Rangda, with the victory of Barong over Rangda.
Legong Dance
Originated in the 19th century as royal entertainment, the Legong Dance is generally performed by young girls doing intricate finger movements, complicated footwork, and expressive gestures and facial expressions.
Classical Legong enacts several traditional stories that are enacted in elaborate and stylized pantomime.
The tale of the King of Lasem from the Malat, a collection of heroic romances is the most common story enacted.
Kecak Dance
Also known as the Ramayana Monkey Chant, the Kecak Dance is a form of Balinese dance and music drama performed primarily by men, although a few women's kecak groups exist as of 2006.
Combining the chorus of the "Sanghyang" trance dance (a trance-inducing exorcism dance) with a dance story from the epic "Ramayana, Kecak Dance is performed by a circle of 150 or more bare-chested male performers wearing checked cloth around their waists, percussively chanting "cak" and throwing up their arms, depicts a battle from the Ramayana where the monkey-like Vanara helped Prince Rama fight the evil King Ravana.
Baris
A male equivalent of the Legong, Baris is usually performed by men, either solo or in group of five or more.
A warrior's dance, Baris is executed with energetic and warlike martial spirit, with the Baris dancers portraying the full range of thoughts and emotions of a warrior preparing for action as well as confronting an enemy in battle.
One of the most complex of all Balinese dances, the Baris dancer should be able to portray chivalry, pride, courage, anger, prowess, passion and a little regret.
The Yudapati Dance
Yudapati dance is performed by female dancers portraying a male character.
Based on the Baris dance, Yudapati represents the kamikaze warrior in defending the truth.
In Yudapati, a typical male attire of headcloth, shirt, carved leather belt and other jewellery is worn by the female dancer. The dance is performed by females as the dance is designed to showcase all the subtle gestures and movements in the dance by using the flexibility of a woman's body.
