Boys will be Girls

It’s late at night at the Pura Dalem in Penestanan.  The Maestro, AA Gede Bagus Mandera Earawan  famous dancer, and choreographer extraordinaire, had invited us to come along and see his troupe of male legong dancers perform their intriguing version of Bali’s most iconic dance.  It was a rare treat both for us and for

Ayu Sekar

Panji Semirang and the Golden Doll

The Majapahit, between the years 1293 to circa 1500, was once a great empire in South East Asia. It’s centre was in East Java and in fact it was this empire where the idea of ‘Nusantara’, or a great archipelagic nation, was born. The reach of Majapahit stretched as far as Burma, all the way

Bali’s Extraordinary Exotic Reality

Bali will always be an enigma. A juxtaposition between sekala and niskala, the seen and the unseen or the material world and the spiritual. The reason the Balinese are not always present, a little bit of head in the clouds, is because their mind ponders frequently on their next ceremony. Offerings, prayer, dance and dramas,

2000 Ladies Perform Tenun Dance on Petitenget Beach

If this is your first time visiting Bali, you may have gathered some information of several interesting dances to see during your stay. Two of the most famous ones are Legong and Kecak. However, there are many traditional dances in this island. Some are considered sacred and only performed in temples during religious rituals, while

Dagger in Hand: Bali’s Baris Keris Dance

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

Rejang Renteng

Rejang Renteng: A Dance of the Older Generation

Balinese dances eloquently charm audiences with their signature basic movements, eye movements and curvy nature of the female dancers. Almost all of the dances on the island boast bright colours and glittery costumes. All of this is not presented in Rejang Renteng. Rejang Renteng is a variation of the Rejang Dance – the sacred dance

Cultural Appreciation : Teaching Kids Balinese Culture

Culture plays an important role in how children make sense of the world around them. Children’s connection to their culture develops through their experiences. As adults, we should help them connect with their cultural identity by supplying warm and secure emotional connections. This helps the young minds build a positive cultural identity for themselves, as

Kepayang : Dance The Romance 

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 sore legs and arms are nothing to compare with thundering applause by the audience. To perform in one of Bali Art Festival’s stage is a big

Sendratari : Balinese Art, Theatre and Dance Rolled into One

In Bali, we also have musical dramas, a combination of dance and theatrical performance that also contains dialog in the Balinese language. The performance is called Sendratari, which is actually an abbreviation of Seni, Drama and Tari which translates to English as “art, theater and dance”. Sendratari is an all Balinese favorite. It is both

Dance Maestro Ni Ketut Arini and the Festivity of Balinese Dance

Almost everything celebratory in Bali starts with a dance. Whether it’s a religious ceremony, a festival, opening of a conference, or even a dinner at nice resorts, a traditional Balinese dance will be performed to welcome the attendees and kick start the occasion – a unique gesture that has captured the hearts of many.  

The Margapati Dance: A King and Death Meet

In Bali, the island’s culture has strong ties to the surrounding natural environment. The religious rituals are delivered as a give back to the ancestors and nature for the entire ceremony and life. The sacred rituals involve beautiful offerings and eye-catching cultural performances. Every art form was born as an offering to the gods and

The Unfortunate Charm of the Legong Dancer

Like everything, wise Balinese men will tell you, even their island too is subjected to the law of the Rwabhinneda, the complementary opposites. Light and Darkness; male and female; good and bad; serious and funny, and so forth. I spend much of my writing time talking about the positive, or funny sides of Balinese culture,

Tragic Love in the Stories of Balinese Dance

Love is an absurdly warm feeling full of complexity. Love stories can end up being happily ever after or, alternatively, manifest into agony and hatred. Romance is a sedative that triggers the creative mind to express oneself, a great inspiration for artists. In the hands of talented artists, a bloody war caused by love can

Now Bali
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER TO GET THE LATEST UPDATES. SUBSCRIBE