Barong is probably the most well known dance. It is also
another story telling dance, narrating the fight between
good and evil. This dance is the classic example of Balinese
way of acting out mythology, resulting in myth and history
being blended into one reality.
Regular Stages
There are many Barong dance stages in Bali with regular show, both daily, or certain days that is appointed according to customer they serve. Well known stages are in the town of Batubulan and east Denpasar or Kesiman. In the town of Batubulan there are at least 4 stages known so far, but the most active with daily schedule of performance are only 3 which location is close each other. Their location is distributed within 3 km street of the main road that leading from Denpasar to Gianyar city. These 3 Barong dance stages known to have also enough space for parking the car or buses. One stage is just on the side of the road known as Barong Den Jalan, one is performed at the meeting hall of a temple called Pura Puseh, deep inside the town among the rice terrace yet now there are already many houses for local people also, and the other is performed at the house of a local people which is set up as beautiful traditional Balinese stage for traditional dances. All stages are made in traditional Balinese stages, with typical decoration, moated brick wall and entrance at some places, and typical temple and Balinese meeting hall architecture.
There are many Barong dance stages in Bali with regular show, both daily, or certain days that is appointed according to customer they serve. Well known stages are in the town of Batubulan and east Denpasar or Kesiman. In the town of Batubulan there are at least 4 stages known so far, but the most active with daily schedule of performance are only 3 which location is close each other. Their location is distributed within 3 km street of the main road that leading from Denpasar to Gianyar city. These 3 Barong dance stages known to have also enough space for parking the car or buses. One stage is just on the side of the road known as Barong Den Jalan, one is performed at the meeting hall of a temple called Pura Puseh, deep inside the town among the rice terrace yet now there are already many houses for local people also, and the other is performed at the house of a local people which is set up as beautiful traditional Balinese stage for traditional dances. All stages are made in traditional Balinese stages, with typical decoration, moated brick wall and entrance at some places, and typical temple and Balinese meeting hall architecture.
Performance Character
Barong dance which is also known as Barong and Keris dance is a mixed of Balinese traditional dance, drama and music. The most beautiful woman dance such as Legong Keraton is also presented in other dress attire as the opening or introduction of the dance. Usually by 2 girls followed by Balinese traditional music called Gong. Most Barong dance performance taking the theme of the performance from Mahabharata Epic, especially the period of Nakula and Sahadewa. The story is correlated with the struggle between the benevolence and bad spirit. The story presented for Barong dance has been strongly influenced by the school of Tantrayana Buddhist. This is shown by the personalization of good spirit with Barong dance, a creature resembling a tiger, and the bad spirit by a witch with ugly physical appearance, even frightening. The whole plot of the of the performance is always inserted with the moments of dialog between both the main figures and the servants or jokes. The music is played to strengthen or downturn the tension of the situation among the figures. So this type of performance can be said it is a mixed performance between dance, drama and clown.
Performance Stages
The dance is started at 9.30 AM with the rhythmic of Balinese traditional music called Gong. After 5 or 10 minutes the melody of Gong change suddenly and from the screen appear 2 girls with Balinese traditional beautiful dressing. These 2 girls perform the most feminism dance, showing how beautiful is the body of women and their ability to move very flexibly, following the tension and downturn of the music. Finalizing the dance, the Prime Minister of the kingdom of Ayodya Pura appears on the stage, expressing his difficult position in the kingdom as the Princess wish to sacrifice her 2 youngest sons to the king of Demon. The Prime Minister is getting pressure from high dignitaries to refuse the plan of the Princess, and is ordered to present before the Princess expressing the reason that the sacrifice is not necessary. Yet the people have been to much suffering from the disease and malicious action of the demon if the sons are not sacrificed. It is a great dilemma for the Princes, weather she should depend her sons or the people. With the explanation the Prime Minister promise to the Princess that he will do his utmost to fight the demon and safe the people and the young princess. Following the disappearance of Prime Minister and the Princess from the stage appear the servants of the Demon with ugly faces performing disoriented dances. This is to show how frightening is the existence of a demon with it's servants. Here the two main clowns appear on the stage and fight the demon servants. Most Barong dance have good clowns, as this part is actually the most interesting for the people who are able to make people laughing with her action on the stage. for those who do not even understand the language they spoken on the stage. The defeat of Demon servant following by the appearance of Princess with the Prime Minister again in a quarrel for disagreement of the scarification of the youngest sons. Yet the king of Demon knows the conflict and soon send magic influence to the Prime Minister and change their mind to agree.
Then the Prime Minister drag the 2 sons to be tied
on a tree in the forest to be sacrificed to the king of Demon. As soon as
Prime Minister left the boys in the forest the king of Demon appear on the
stage which is called Rangda. The appearance of Rangda is really frightening
in the perception of Balinese. Long fangs and teeth, big and long breasts,
curling and messy long hair, hand nails are arching and long. With short
dance by the player of Rangda, then she soon approach the tied son, yet
suddenly the holy spirit of Bhatara Guru presence and safe the boys. In
the situation of really disoriented, the Barong appear on the stage fight
the Rangda. No one of them can defeat each other, and soon the servant of
Barong around 10 or more men in checquered cloth appear with kriss on hand
to defeat Rangda. Yet due to her strong magic power Rangda spread the invisible
power to servants. Since they are stirred by the magic, they in contrary
stab themselves with their own Keris. Some of the servants got trance and
other still dancing while stabbing themselves seriously as it is seemed
to be. A Pemangku or local priest with all white dress then appear with
holy water and spread the holy water to the trance servants. Condition is
now returned to normal, and the dance is finalized, with the total change
of the melody of the music. Most of the guests come down to the dancers
standing on the stage to get photo together.
