A straight forward battle between good and bad : The
Barong dance is the classic story of good (the Barong) triumphing over evil (the witch Rangda).
The villages of
Batubulan as well as
Tegaltamu and
Singapadu, small towns located 30 minutes from
Denpasar, are known for putting on the best performances. There is, however, more to the Barong dance than the folkloristic dimension. It is, in fact, an integral part of the island's culture and has an evident sacred connotation. It isn't rare, in fact, to see the Balinese dancing the Barong during their religious ceremonies, regardless of the presence of tourists.
The Barong dance is truly a triumphant display of bright colors and graceful movements.
Inspired by an episode taken from
Mahabharata, an epic poem written in
Sanskrit. The dance evolves around the character of the Barong, the king of the jungle. A mythical animal, he is the symbol of virtue and good, subject to the continuous struggle against the evil forces that threaten life and the integrity of the forest, this being an element very dear to the Balinese population.
