Bali Barong Dance

Posted on December 9, 2009 by admin

Barong Dance is an integral part of Balinese culture. Balinese dances are famous all over the world and the Balinese themselves take them very seriously. Birthdays, weddings, and temples festivals are all occasions for dramatic performances and dance is inextricably linked with the Balinese religion. The commercial performances for tourists that are today offered on a daily basis in several places of Bali, of course, not have the same religious significance and atmosphere of a dance that is performed at a real temple festival.

Bali Barong Dance is probably the most well known dance. It is also another story telling dance, narrating the fight between good and evil. This Barong Dance is the classic example of Balinese way of acting out mythology, resulting in myth and history being blended into one reality.

keris-dancers The story goes that Rangda sometimes called Calonarang, the mother of Erlangga, the King of Bali in the tenth century, was condemned by Erlangga’s father because she practiced black magic. After she became a widow, she summoned all the evil spirits in the jungle, the leaks and the demons, to come after Erlangga and turns into a terrible Leyal (witch-monster). A fight occurred, but she and her black magic troops were too strong that Erlangga, so Erlangga turns into the Barong (a kind of stylized lion) who represents the good powers. Barong came with Erlangga’s soldiers, the kris dancers, and fight ensued. Rangda casted a spell that made Erlangga soldiers all wanted to kill themselves, pointing their poisoned keris into their own stomachs and chests. Barong casted a spell that turned their body resistant to the sharp keris. At the end, Barong won, and Rangda ran away.

You can see the Barong Dance and Keris Dance in these places :
Batubulan Village: everyday, 9:30 AM
Puri Saren, Ubud: every Friday, 6:30 PM
Catur Eka Budi, Kesiman: everyday, 9:30 AM