You can see a ceremony performed almost every day across the island of Bali, from smaller household ceremonies to village celebrations that involve the entire community. Ceremonies fall on special and auspicious days based on the 210-day calendar called the pawukon. The visual diagram of the calendar, the tika, is…
Like the movements of the swan or the graceful flight of the butterfly, the Balinese legong dancers glide to the melody of the gamelan, turning their fans and staring their wide-opened eyes in a skillful reflection of the gods - who do not blink. The legong dance is one of…
In the Balinese religion, the ritual act of giving the gift of offerings to the gods is performed as an act of sacrifice and as an act of gratitude to the gods for everything they give, including food, the waters, protection, knowledge, abundance, fertility, and so forth. Offerings are also…
Before television, there was Topeng! The ancient dance of Topeng is still widely performed in cultural ceremonies today. Topeng is masked dance where performers show up on stage as many characters including, the "Topeng Tua" or the elder aristocratic statesman, the comical servants or punakawan, the clown characters or the bondres, and…
The Kris Dance, often included as part of the Barong Dance, is an exhilerating knife-yielding dance that involves overcoming the power of evil using a dagger imbuded with supernatural powers! It can't get more exciting than this performance! The "kris" is a sacred dagger made through the ancient mastery of steel-making.…
The sounds of the gamelan ring throughout the fields of Bali. They resonate in the hearts of all those who have been privilege to hearing their melody. The gamelan is the heart of Balinese music. Comprised of over 50 instruments, the gamelan is an entire percussion orchestra consisting of a variety…
The majestic banyan tree is the most sacred tree in Bali and one of the world's largest trees. The height of the banyan tree - up to 40-60 feet (12-18 meters) or more - is enough to take your breath away! As the banyan tree begins to grow, it sends out aerial…
In the playful times of childhood, one of the most creative forms of expression comes when the lights have been dimmed and the sun shines in through the window. This time gives children a chance to clasp their hands together to cast shadows upon the wall. Like visualising the…
The Mahabharata Dance, performed in Ubud's palace temple, is inspired by the great Hindu epic poem The Mahabharata. The Indian tale depicts a great battle between the Kaurava brothers and their cousins, the Pandavas, and is believed to have occurred in the 12-13th century B.C. The battle is the famous setting of Krishna's…
Perhaps one of the most mystical and magical dances you will ever see in Bali is the Barong "trance" dance! Barong, the "Lord of the Jungle", is a great shaggy lion-like beast wearing an elaborate costume of bells, mirrors, peacock feathers and a mask with bulging eyes and red face. He…
The unbelievable stories of people walking on fire or red-hot coals seems to be a myth of the imagination, for surely, it seems to be an impossible feat that no man can accomplish alone. Yet fire-walking is an ancient ritual that has been going on in South East Asia for thousands of…
