Balinese Dancing
By NomadicMatt | Published: May 1, 2010Balinese dancing is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen and going to a performance was a highlights of my time in Bali. I saw the dance in Ubud, where most people end up seeing one too. It’s supposed to be the most traditional as well as one of the best places to see it. I’m not an expert on Balinese dancing so I’m not sure if that is true. However, what is true is that what I saw at the Ubud Palace was phenomenal. The way the dancers move and time their rhythm to the sound was as creepy and weird as it was amazing. Take a look and see what I mean:
Tips for Seeing a Dance Show
- Dances happen every night of the week. Don’t worry if you are busy one night.
- The shows last about 90 minutes and tickets cost 80,000 Rupiah.
I’ve seen a few Balinese dances and these are the real deal. It’s just that there are lots of tourists there! The ones in the villages are often more rustic and the dancers often not as good – and often there is no gamelan playing, just a CD recording of one because it is expensive to hire a gamelan. But that’s real life in Bali!
Good to know I saw the real deal.
I thought the Kecak performance we just saw in Ubud was magical. The sound of the male ‘chorus’ and the movements of the dancers brought tears to my eyes. A definite ‘must see’ for anyone visiting Bali.
I watched the Kecak (Fire) Dance at the Uluwatu temple right at the edge of a cliff at sunset. One of the most amazingly fantastical things I’ve ever seen in my life!
Great post on Bali Matt.
Good to see the more cultural side the island offers don’t you think?
I love going to traditional dances in different cultures. The dance looks awesome.
Wow. The way they move their eyes in rhythm too is so interesting. I’ve never seen a cultural dance where most of the movement is based on small, quick, moves without really any more fluid movements. Great video.
Yeah, that was one of the things I noticed too. It’s sort of creepy how good it is.
I love how the eyes of Balinese dancers are dancing too! I don’t think my eyes’ muscles can handle that! One of my good friend in university is a Balinese dancer with big eyes, and sometimes she showed me that eyes movement, I always thought that was awesome!
Cool video. Never seen a dance like that, especially with the eye movements. Making a mental note to check this out when I one day get to Bali.
Thank you for sharing info on Bali dancing! I really wanted to go to the yoga/music festival there last month. I just found this nomadicmatt site. Great job!
I blog myself regarding vegetarian/vegan world travel and travel tips..
http://www.veganworldtrekker.com
I saw Balinese dancers in my third day in Bali and it remains one of my best memories. Love the way the women dart their eyes about! Bali is wonderful, has so much to offer.
How cool! I don’t think I’ve seen anything like that before — their faces are so expressive. I love the traditional outfits. Bali is definitely on my must-see list!
What a great recollection of Balinese dance. It was quite amazing to experience in person. Even my photos and video don’t do it justice. Thanks for sharing!
http://brunocerous.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/memories-of-balinese-dance/