The fight between good and evil has always been a most dangerous and thrilling battle. In Bali, this great battle is portrayed through a most enthralling dance that appals and enraptures the viewer at the same time- it is the great Barong Dance.
Your beautiful Bali vacation will not be complete without experiencing the Barong Dance as you get a good dosage of Bali culture through it. Originating from Hindu mythology, the Barong Dance depicts the tale of the battle between the lion-like King of all Spirits, Barong and Rangda, the terrifying demon queen. The best place to see this captivating dance is at the Batubulan Village where it is performed everyday at five different stages- Puseh Temple Stage, Tegal Tamu Stage, Denjalan Stage, Sahadewa Stage and Sila Budaya Stage. The Batubulan Village is a popular culture hotspot located inland in the Sub Sukawati, Gianyar region. When you say Bali, beach is on everyone’s mind, so if you plan on visiting the village but still want to get that ultimate Bali-beach experience there are plenty of Bali beach resorts that are within just 1 hour away. So, a hotel like Anantara Bali Uluwatu Resort & Spa, will be an ideal place for you to get the best of both worlds.
At the beginning of the dance, two cheeky monkeys tease the great Barong in a peaceful environment. Then, chaos strikes! Rangda, the evil demon queen enters the scene and casts her black magic on soldiers to make them commit suicide. But, Barong casts a protective spell over them and saves them in time.
Following a variety of vibrant and entrancing dance movements, the dance ends with the final battle between Barong and Rangda where the great Lion Spirit defeats the evil queen bringing back celestial order and universal harmony.
Uditha Dharmawardhane is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Roland Lefevre. He specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe. Google+
