Balinese dance and drama

Dance and drama have played a historically important role in Balinese society. Through this medium, people learned about the tales of the Ramayana, Mahabarata and other epics stories from Balinese history. The following are brief descriptions of some of the more well-known dance-dramas that can be seen at regular performances throughout Bali.

Baris
This is a warrior’s dance. It is usually performed by men, either solo or in a group of five or more.

Barong Rangda
This is a story about the struggle between good and evil. Good is personified by the Barong Keket, a strange but fun-loving creature in the shape of a shaggy semi-lion. Evil is represented by Rangda, a witch.

Kecak
The most famous of the Balinese dances, originated from the Sanghyang dance choirs, holds its uniqueness in the entrancing ‘Kecak, kecak’ chant. The Kecak as a dance developed in the 1930s, in the village of Bona, where it is still performed regularly.

Legong
This dance tells a story of princess Rangkesari being held captive by King Lakesmi. Rangkesari’s brother, prince Dana, gathers an army to rescue his sister. The Legong is a very classical and graceful dance, always performed by prepubescent girls, who can be as young as eight or nine years old.

Wayang Kulit or Shadow Puppet
Wayang Kulit is one the great story-telling traditions of the Javanese and Balinese people. The wayang show usually consists of a small four-piece orchestra, which provides the musical accompaniment, around sixty ‘puppets’, carved out of flat pieces of water buffalo hide, and the dalang or puppet-master. The good characters speak in ancient ‘Kawi’, whereas the evil or coarse ones speak Balinese.