Balinese Dance

One of the contents of wealth in Indonesia is human wealth in the form of culture. Dance is a culture that is produced from human thought and interaction. In addition to presenting the beauty of the body swaying, there is also the meaning of each movement. Among the dances that spread from Sabang to Merauke are Balinese dances. This dance is unique because it does not always depend on the storyline. The main goal of Balinese dancers is to dance each stage of movement and sequence with full expression. The beauty of Balinese dance can be seen in the abstract and beautiful movements. The most famous Balinese dances include Pendet, Gambuh, Baris, Sanghyang and Legong.

Most of the Balinese dances have a religious meaning. Since the 1950s, with the rapid development of tourism, several dances have been performed at activities outside of religious events with some modifications. Here are three genres of Balinese dance that have been around the world and have received recognition from organizations and the international community.

The development of Balinese dance is not only recognized by the local community, but also by the international community. At the convention of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage from 29 November to 4 December 2015 in Windhoek, Namibia, UNESCO recognized three traditional dance genres in Bali, Indonesia, as Intangible Cultural Heritage after being proposed since 2011. In the proposed convention there are three important parts, among others: Wali (sacred dance), Bebali (semi-sacred dance/ceremonial) and Balih-balihan (dance for entertainment purposes).