Enjoy the graceful of
Balinese dance

Bali is very famous for their dance all over the world. They are gracious and elegant. Balinese dance is a part of daily life of Balinese people. Almost every Balinese could dance.

It's also not hard to find dances, they're everywhere and taking place all the time all over the island and are usually open to anyone.

The most common dance are:

Kechak dance

Probably the best known. This dance is also unusual because it doesn't have a gamelan accompaniment.

The background is provided by men who provide the chak-a-chak noise which distinguishes the dance.

Barong and Rangda

A battle dance between good and evil. The Barong is played by two men in much the same way a circus clown here.

Legong

The most graceful of Balinese dance. It's very stylished and symbolic dance.

Baris

The warrior dance, this is a male equivalent in which feminity and grace gives away to the energetic warlike martial spirits.

Ramayana Dance

It tells the story of Rama and Sita, Hindus God, with gamelan orchestra.

Janger dance

A formations of 12 young women and 12 young men do a sitting dance where the gentle swaying and chanting of the ladies. It is contrasted with the violently choreographed movements and loud shouts of men.

Topeng dance

A mask dance where the dancers imitate the characters. Their masks indicate what they are playing.

Pendet dance

An everyday dance of the temples. A small procedure gone through before making temples offerings which doesn't require training and practices.

Sanghyang dance

A dance of the spirit. This dance is mentioned to driving out the evil spirits from a village. There are two different Sanghyang dance:

- Sanghyang Dedari is performed by two young girls who dance a dream like the version of Legong dance. They dance in the perfect harmony but with their eyes shut.

- Sanghyang Jaran, the fire dance performed by a boy in a trance dances around and through a fire of coconut husks, riding a coconut plam hobby horse.

So, if you visit Bali, don't forget to enjoy their dance. They are remarkable and lovely to see.

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