Dance, theatre and music
Dance in Bali is worship, story and entertainment at once. A short guide to the forms you can see in a week on the island.
Three dances on UNESCO’s list
In 2015 UNESCO inscribed three genres of Balinese dance, sacred, semi-sacred and for everyone, on its list of the intangible heritage of humanity. UNESCO
Kecak
Kecak took its form in the 1930s, shaped by the dancer Wayan Limbak and the painter Walter Spies: dozens of men in circles chant "cak", with no instruments, telling a battle from the Ramayana. Wikipedia
The kecak circle
Kecak is performed by a circle of as many as 150 voices chanting "cak", telling the Ramayana with no instruments at all. Wikipedia
Legong
Legong is a dance of exact fingers, quick feet and expressive faces, traditionally danced by young girls to gamelan; Legong Kraton is among the dances UNESCO inscribed in 2015. Wikipedia
Barong
The Barong is a protector spirit of Balinese tradition, often shown as a lion with a red head: king of the spirits, leader of the hosts of good, and the opposite of the witch Rangda. Wikipedia
Rangda
Rangda is the demon queen of the leyak in Balinese mythology and the Barong's opponent; their fight in the Barong dance stages the eternal battle between good and evil. She is held to be the incarnation of Calon Arang, the legendary witch. Wikipedia
Topeng
Topeng is Balinese masked dance-drama; in topeng pajegan a single dancer performs the whole story, and Topeng Tua is the old man who jokes with the audience. Wikipedia
Wayang
Traditionally, wayang is played out in a ritual midnight-to-dawn show by a dalang, an artist and spiritual leader. Wikipedia
Ubud’s palace
Puri Saren Agung, the palace in Ubud, was the official residence of Ubud's royal family; dance shows are held at night in its main pavilion, with gamelan. Wikipedia
Planning a stay around it
- A week in Seminyak: an itinerary with room in it Things to do in Seminyak as a seven-day itinerary, one thing a day: arrival, the beach, a day in the garden, one long drive, a slow last morning.
- Seminyak with kids: what a villa holiday is actually like Seminyak with children — what a private villa gives a family, what it does not, and the honest safety note about an open pool and a garden pond.
- Where to eat within a walk of the villa How dinner works at Villa Aniri — the Oberoi strip on foot, the warung on the corner, and a chef who cooks in the villa kitchen when nobody wants to move.
Staying in Seminyak? Villa Aniri is a four-bedroom private villa with a teak Joglo. A week in Seminyak · Check availability