Dance, costume & make-up

Cokin, a professional and world-travelled traditional Balinese dancer, holds daily workshops on traditional Balinese dance, costume and make-up. Guests can chose their preferred dance, costume and make-up. This is a favourite for visitors and provides opportunities for stunning photographs. Contact Cokin to book a workshop to suit your available dates.

The three genres are represented by nine dances, which describes its function and living tradition in Balinese community, they are:

Wali Sacred Dances

1. Rejang (Klungkung District). Sacred ceremonial dance by a young women in traditional ceremonial dress,
2. Sanghyang Dedari (Karangasem District). Sacred trance dance to counteract negative supernatural forces. Performed by two young girls.
3. Baris Upacara (Bangli District) religious dances conveying heroic spirit danced by even numbers of male dancers.

Bebali Semi sacred Dances

1. Topeng Sidhakarya/Topeng Pajegan (Tabanan District). Performed by masked dancers to neutralize the evil spirits.
2. Gambuh dance drama (Gianyar District). Formerly royal theatrical performance, now accompaniment to ceremonies, by 25-40 dancers.
3. Wayang Wong dance drama (Buleleng District). Combines dance, epic drama and music.

Balih-balihan Entertainment Dances

1. Legong Kraton (Denpasar City). Exquisitely beautiful dance by 2 or 3 girls. Developed from Sanghyang Dedari, and Gambuh.
2. Joged Bumbung (Jembrana District). A popular social dance by couples, during harvest season or on important days.
3. Barong Ket “Kuntisraya” (Badung District). Represents a fight between two mythological characters, Barong in the form of a lion symbolizing goodness and Rangda, an evil witch.

UNESCO recognizes three genres of traditional dance in Bali, Indonesia, as Intangible cultural heritage. The three genres includes Wali (sacred dances), Bebali (semi-sacred dances) and Balih-balihan (dances for entertainment purposes).

In Hinduism, dance is an accompaniment to the perpetual dissolving and reforming of the world. The creative and reproductive balance is often personified as Shiva’s wife, Durga, sometimes called Uma, Parvati, or Kali. This has significance in Balinese Hinduism, since the common figure of Rangda is similar in many ways to Durga.