Baris dance is one important dance usually performed as the opening to a sacred ritual or big religious ceremony in temples in the villages of Bali. The dance plays an important role as it symbolises the welcoming of deities, gods and goddesses that are believed have come down from heaven to witness the rituals. The […]

Balinese dances eloquently charm audiences with their signature basic movements, eye movements and curvy nature of the female dancers. Almost all of t...

Watching a dance performance makes my heart content. And if we trace it back, it is the sweet ripe fruit of days of hard work. For the artist, their s...

Turning to the Sea Another strategy to survive this arid environment is to turn away from the hills and look to the sea. Generally speaking the Baline...

There is a dramatic transition as you head north through the valley between Mt. Agung and Mt. Seraya. You travel from thick forests and fertile rice f...

Sitting in the warung outside the temple watching the parade and carnival. Some people in full temple dress sparkling with gold thread, others in t-sh...

There I was, far from home, surrounded by hundreds of wild eyed men, each brandishing a wicked looking Kris – the killer dagger used in many countri...

Its not every day that some well placed person in Ubud society organises a huge metatah or tooth filing ceremony for her greater family, it was an af...

The children of Bali are like a special breed. Smart, cheeky and often devout, they enliven every day with their cheeky attitudes. When Robert Koke, ...

If there has been an important behavioural notion that has been imported from India to Bali, it is the notion of purity, or rather the avoidance of im...

Have you ever seen a Balinese dog? I am sure you must have. These small, ugly animals are everywhere. They lurk in every corner in groups of four or f...

When Westerners think of Balinese priesthood, they are usually awed and, accordingly, embarrassed by “excessive respect”. It must be said that the...

During the year a small, yet enthusiastic gathering of volunteers set out to make a very significant contribution to Balinese art. “Puan Empu Seni: ...

During the month of October a unique program of activities was presented by CushCush Gallery (CCG) in Denpasar highlighting the on-going transformati...

During a recent presentation ceremony at the National Museum of Singapore on the 29th of June, the winners of the Asia-Pacific Breweries Signature Art...

It was with great sadness that I heard of the sudden and unexpected passing of Made Wijaya, my long time friend and columnist of both NOW! Jakarta and...

Last month, at a Bongkasa high priest’s cremation, I saw a contemporary-cum-ceremonial dance performance staged around the funeral pyre. It resemble...

Many of the late pedanda’s disciples are wearing commemoratives t-shirts emblazed with the message ‘Death is life’s friend’. Balinese history ...