Legong etymology means a beautiful series of body movements, ordance, that is accompanied by agong, Balinese traditional music instrument. There are various kinds of legong dances, one of them is the Legong Jobog. The difference between the legong dances is not only the story that the dance narrates, but also the routines involved. The gamelan […]

The sea sparkles gold against a red and orange sky when the sun sets on Perancak Village, Jembrana Regency West Bali. The scene is likely to have insp...

A loud cheer erupted as the master of ceremony completed his introduction for the next performance. It was an exciting evening at the Bali Art Festiva...

In years past there were several terrorist bombings in Bali which inflicted terrible suffering, they will be remembered as a defining moment in Baliâ€...

Up to the present day, the Balinese have been remarkably open minded and genuinely curious about the life that has arrived on its shores. They could h...

As noted in a previous issue, it is not easy to gain access to the forests of western Bali. This area is intended to be a sanctuary for Balinese flora...

A small monument known as Prasasti Blanjong, was carved from a single solid stone pillar that measures around 70 inches and 32 inches in diameter. It ...

Driving north from the main hub of Sanur to the quiet Padang Galak area, a memorial monument of a fatal Pan American flight accident nestled in quite ...

The ancestors’ cult, for some reason, is deemed irrational. Is it for this reason that established religions are doing their best to eradicate it? I...

How do Westerners open the New Year? With revelry. How do the Balinese open their own New Year. With a full day of silence, called Nyepi. But exactly ...

Journalist Eric Buvelot and socio-ethnologist Jean Couteau have recorded 20 hours of discussion about changes that have happened in Bali since the 70â...

With respect to the small Protestant community of Bali, the title is not a joke. Because we may be witnessing a uniquely Balinese variation of what ha...

One of the most fantastic artistic attributes of the Balinese culture is the Ogoh-ogoh. Extraordinary papier-mâché and bamboo representations of ext...

Balinese artist and activist, Marmar Herayukti, shared his philosophy behind his re-introduced work ‘Paksi Ireng’, the Blackbird. An ogoh-ogoh sta...

One of the most enjoyable aspects of observing the Bali art scene is witnessing young artists’ creative development. To grow, budding artists mu...

Bali’s high priests have stepped it up a few notches of late — in jewelry, showmanship, and stamina. As more and more Balinese opt for the higher ...

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...