Set to the Gong Kebyar - an orchestra formed by a group of gamelan instruments (musical instruments with five notes forged from copper and bronze) and various metal gongs and symbols.

Also accompanied by the Gong Kebyar (see above), The Legong dance is perhaps the most graceful of Balinese dances. It is performed only by young girls 8-12 years old (after reaching puberty the girls usually stop performing this dance).

This may be the most famous of Balinese dances but it is not a traditional dance. It was developed in the 1930’s in the village of Bona specifically to cater to Western tastes. With no musical instruments accompanying this dance the dance troupe is "accompanied" by a large group of men (the more the better), naked from the waist up chanting ‘kechak-ke-chack’.

This is the full blown Ramayana epic adventure and is a spectacular dance replete with several characters all in different and gorgeous costumes. The story tells more or less the same story as the Kecak (see above) with one important difference - there is no Kecak "orchestra" rather the dancers are accompanied by a full 30 piece Gong Kebyar orchestra. Done well, this dance is not to be missed.

Often the Makepung dance is one part of a dance program with 3 or 4 short dances. Accompanied by the "Jegog" - another 5 note instrument but in this case made of very large pieces of bamboo. So large in fact that the musician must sit on top of the instrument in order to play it. Loud without being ear splitting the deep sound vibrates right through your body

The Wayang Kulit is not a dance per se but is still one of our favorites. The Wayang Kulit are Shadow puppets and this cultural treat is often overlooked by the tour operators because there are no flashy costumes. The "stage" is quite small - really only a bed sheet with a lantern illuminating it from behind so you will need to sit close. In this intimate night setting you will get a good idea of how this ancient tradition is still performed in the villages throughout Indonesia.

Bali has basically 3 indigenous textiles: Endek, Gringsing and Tenun Ikat. That being said most of the swaths of cloth and fancy printed apparel on sale in Bali are really Batik and native to Java, not Bali. FYI, the intricate designs on Batik cloth are made by applying wax to the fabric prior to dying each time another color is added.

Nowadays there are many Balinese and Indonesian artists who practice what can best be described as Modern Art. Some like Made Winata, Krijono, and Joko amongst others have achieved a great deal of commercial success combining their Indonesian perspective with abstract figures and new colors.

As mentioned earlier starting this century Balinese artists came under more direct influence of Western artists with the arrival of European artists. The most famous of these were German, Walter Spies and Dutchman, Rudolf Bonnet. These two painters taught the Balinese painters new, more realistic and expressionistic art - scenes from every day life, landscapes and the like - which now dominates the paintings produced on Bali. Later on and together with local artist Gede Agung Sukawati the Pitamaha Painters Association was established. Styles which sprang from this effort are briefly described below. When looking to buy keep in mind that prices vary widely depending on the size and the amount and clarity of detail.

This is the most traditional of all Balinese paintings. Originating in the Klungkung Regency during the reign Kingdom of Gelgel it was widely admired throughout Bali. The artists specializing in this art form are known as "Sangging". In days gone by these Snagging artists would often be commissioned to travel to other kingdoms to decorate a palace or temple with this style of painting. 

These large paintings are easily identified because every square inch of the canvas is filled with tiny figures going about life's daily activities (some quite graphic if you look hard enough). Usually bright colored, these paintings seem to be getting funnier and funnier (or sarcastic depending on your view of video camera tourists being painted into village life) as the years go by.

These are the bird, flower and butterfly paintings you see all over. The amount of detail and correct proportion determine the price but works of the best (i.e. I Made Supartha commands up to US$ 5,000 for a good sized painting).

These are the bird, flower and butterfly paintings you see all over. The amount of detail and correct proportion determine the price but works of the best (i.e. I Made Supartha commands up to US$ 5,000 for a good sized painting).

With highly stylized human features -strong lines, long necks, proud posture, and the like identify these paintings to have been influenced by Walter Spies. The paintings are usually large and colorful without being bright. Such artists as Dewa Putu Bedil are always in demand and you may well have to commission the best and wait quite some time before you own one of this style.

Whilst maybe not a traditional art form, in fact kites were only recently introduced into Bali by the Japanese during their occupation of Indonesia in World War 2, the Balinese have quickly turned them into an art form. It is not unusual to see a group of men struggling to put a kite 4 meters (yes, 4 meters - some of these contraptions can be down right dangerous to passing aircraft !) into the back of a truck to take down to the beach. In fact there are laws against flying kites too close around the airport.

Wood carving shares a lot of similarities with stone carving inasmuch as both were used primarily to decorate temples. You can see traditional wood carving used to decorate the pillars and beams used to support the roofs of temples (and lately restaurants as well). However understanding that wood carvings are much easier to transport and have more practical uses in home decorating it should come as no surprise to learn that Westerners have begun to have a strong influence on what is now being produced. Not that that is all bad. Traditionally wood carvers have also had pretty much free reign to experiment and many have become more sculptors than carvers with the best wood carvers turning unusual pieces of wood that most folks would just as soon throw away into masterpieces. However, still the most sought after works are the traditional Ramayana figurines.

Driving around Bali it would difficult not to be impressed with the majesty of the intricate stone carvings that adorn the thousands of temples that dot the island. This stone is known locally as "paras" and is not really stone in the Western sense. Rather paras is volcanic ash mixed with sand and clay and compressed over the centuries into a hard material similar to sandstone or soapstone. As such the material is quite soft, decays easily and moss seems to grow on it overnight - so if you are walking through a rice paddy and happen to see an old, blackened, moss covered statue do not think it is centuries old - it may be 5 or at the most 30 years old !

Practically from the time you step off the plane you will see masks of different sizes, shapes and colors. Whilst these days many masks are produced solely as tourist souvenirs not to take masks seriously in Bali would be a mistake. When a Westerner dons a mask at a party it is to pretend he is someone else. For Indonesians - especially Balinese to don a mask is to begin living the life of the mask. Masks used in performances of sacred dances are sacred and as such revered and kept so in temples. You will not find such masks sitting idly in a store waiting to be purchased. That being said, there are still fine masks - all works of art - that are no longer used available for sale (for a price).

These daggers with their wavy blades are famous the world over. Going back as far as Hindu Javanese of Majapahit in the 13th century, these beautiful daggers are much more than a weapon - they are a revered symbol of the man who owns it and each Keris is deeply believed to have a life and spirit of its own. Indeed there are stories of kings, too busy with affairs of the palace to attend their own weddings, letting the Keris stand in as the groom. And not just any will Keris will do, a Keris must be matched spiritually to its owner to protect him from harm.

Last Held on January 6, 2008. Balinese Siwaratri on the dark moon of the seventh month based on the Balinese lunar calendar system, Balinese will celebrate the Siwaratri or the Night of Siwa. This holy day is devoted to God Siwa, the destroyer. Balinese believes that on this day, God Siwa, the destroyer meditate for the welfare of the world, and the God Siwa will bestow a pardon for all sin to someone if he accompany the God Siwa in his meditation by observing some self restriction and meditate on the night of Siwaratri.

Bali's most important festival is the Galungan festival (Last Held on January 23, 2008). It is a feast and festival which is held throughout the whole island and occurs every 210 days on Budha Kliwon Dungulan. It is believed that during this ten day period all Balinese gods will descend to earth for the festivities.

This holiday takes place ten days after Galungan, bringing the Balinese New Year holiday period to a close (Last held on February 2, 2008). Ceremonies are held for ancestral spirits.

Every society in the world should have the Nyepi holiday. This holiday is the Balinese New Year called Içaka New Year. It is a day of total silence throughout the island. No activity is whatsoever is allowed, no traffic at all on the roads, no fire may be lit, use of electricity is banned (except in the tourist hotels).

Tumpek Krulut is dedicated for all musical instruments, mask, and other tool for art performances that are used in the numerous religious ceremonies in Bali. The Tumpek Krulut takes its name from the name of week of its occasion. It is celebrated every 210 days, in the 17th week of Balinese Pawukon cycle (a cycle consist of 30 weeks). On this special day, offerings are given to pay homage to the musical instruments, masks, and dance costumes. The instruments and other paraphernalia are cleaned, decorated with young coconut leaf offerings, given a special set of offering and sprinkled with holy water. The members of the group that use the instruments, costumes and masks, pray together and ask a blessing from the God.

The day devoted to Sanghyang Aji Saraswati, Goddes symbolizing knowledges and arts and when blessing ceremony is given to holy scriptures, literatures of sciences and arts held at every family compound.

The Balinese Hindus will celebrate a very special day devoted to Hyang Pramesti Guru and Hyang Pitara (ancestors), which is meant to ask for protection and prosperity. It is celebrated at every family temple and holy place throughout Bali. Pagerwesi day has a close relationship within Saraswati day. It falls 4 days after Saraswati day and there is continuous meaning in between. After people received knowledge on Saraswati day, they must remind that the knowledge is transferred through guru or teacher and Pagerwesi is the day to show our respect to the teacher and the main guru (God or Siva).

The historical roots of Tumpek Landep trace to rites that for the blessing and sharpening of weapons of conflict. Over the generations the meaning was expanded to include any tool or instrument made of metal eventually including bicycles, motorcycles and cars.Tumpek Landep is, in fact, a day set aside for sharpening all the "weapons of our lives." Tumpek Landep is a day for evaluation and retrospection on how well we have mastered that knowledge for the benefit of the world.

Balinese cremation ceremony performs to return the body's five elements of air, earth, fire, water and space to the cosmos. The soul can then depart and find its new life through reincarnation.