BALI DANCE

Regular performances of the popular dances such as the legong kraton, the barong kris and the baris dances, are easily found throughout Bali. They are usually staged for tourists by the village people. The Kecak is performed at night by torchlight. Nowadays, even some of the formerly sacral dances, such as the fire dance, are often performed nightly for tourists, notably at Kuta and Sanur beach.

Dances are often performed at ceremonies, typically as part of dramas, and most involve the Balinese version of the Hindu Ramayana epic. Traditional Balinese dance forms are passed on to girls and boys at a very young age, and training is often rigorous and disciplined. Travelers are likely to have the chance to see dances if they attend ceremonies, but can also take advantage of the many performances put on for audiences across Bali.

Some dancers can even be hired to come to your hotel or villa and put on a show, perhaps backed by a gamelan orchestra. Dancers use all parts of the body, including their faces and eyes, and hand gestures are very important.

Dances can be seen all over Bali, but are most common in the area around Ubud, where they are put on regularly for travelers, and in Denpasar, where several cultural centers and dance schools are found. Visitors to Bali who want to delve deeper into the art form of dance will find much to learn, and can start by simply asking the local people that they meet. Dance is very connected to life in Bali and each village is likely to have some skilled dancers and teachers that they are proud of.