Bali Care / Bali Tourism Blog

The arts of Bali are the expressions of the Balinese deepest beliefs; it is the form of worship. Dance, music and drama are closely related in Bali. Many of dances in Bali rely on music to give dramatic expressions, while some of them tell a story of some form. Bali’s dances are always sacred in feeling and at once graceful and dynamic to look at.

Kecak dance is the best known of many Balinese dances. It is illustrates the story of Rama and Sinta taken from the Ramayana epic against a background of about 100 chanting men. Kecak is derived from the sound “cak” which is chanted in complex interlocking patterns that are like the rhythmic patterns played on the Balinese traditional gamelan. Kecak is sensational sight to behold. Hundreds of bare-chested men sit in a circle with a flickering single oil lamp in the middle. “cak…cak…cak”, the chant begins and the men start dancing and swaying to the rhythmic reverberation of their own voices. Their hands rise to the sky and bodies shaking in harmony. The chorus performs the highly structured vocal music for about an hour. This unique dance has been the most popular dance in Bali.

Another popular dance is Barong dance; epitomized the eternal struggle between good and evil. Barong is the “Lord of forest” and magical protector of Balinese villages. Barong is a mythical, described as a shaggy half dog, half lion creature, with a long mane, fantastic fangs and bulging eyes. It is propelled by two men who maneuver the costume with whimsical and mischievous movements to express its fun loving nature. His opponent is Rangda, the evil witch who rules over the spirits of darkness. The rangda will appear lolling her long tongue, baring her threatening fangs, her neck draped with human entrails. Not a beautiful sight, but of course an unforgettable one.

The most graceful of Balinese dances is Legong dance. It is a classical Balinese female dance. With attractive make up faces, costumed in gold brocade and hair decorated with frangipanis, the dancers relate the story with captivating movements. A male equivalent of the legong is Baris dance. It is a warrior dance, executed with energetic and warlike martial spirit, the Baris dancer has to convey the thoughts and emotions of a warrior preparing for action as well as confronting an enemy in battle.