Balinese dance and music are also justly famous and a major
attraction for visitors to the island. As on neighbouring Java, the gamelan
orchestra and wayang kulit shadow puppet theatre predominate. Dances are
extremely visual and dramatic, and the most famous include:
Barong or "lion dance" — a ritual dance depicting
the fight between good and evil, with performers wearing fearsome lion-like
masks. This dance is often staged specifically for tourists as it is one of the
most visually spectacular and the storyline is relatively easy to follow.
Barong dance performances are not hard to find.
Calonarang — a spectacular dance which is a tale of
combating dark magic and exorcising the evil spirits aligned with the
witch-queen Rangda.
Kecak or "monkey dance" — actually invented in the
1930s by resident German artist Walter Spies for a movie but a spectacle
nonetheless, with up to 250 dancers in concentric circles chanting "kecak
kecak", while a performer in the centre acts out a spiritual dance. An especially
popular Kecak dance performance is staged daily at Uluwatu Temple.
Legong Keraton — perhaps the most famous and feted of all
Balinese dances. Performed by young girls, this is a dance of divine nymphs
hailing from 12th century Java. Try to find an authentic Legong Keraton with a
full-length performance. The short dance performances often found in tourist
restaurants and hotels are usually extracts from the Legong Keraton.
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