Balinese Legong Dance

Excerpts of the traditional Balinese Legong dance with the sounds of the gamelan. The Balinese live their religion as no other people. These dancers are beautiful and move their eyes, fingers, heads, hands and bodies in such an amazing way.

[@dan1oval]

I've been to Ubud twice and loved it. The music, the dances, the food and the wonderful people. The Ubud palace is beautiful. Need to go back before I die.

[@kumarsa108]

Balinese have a great and rich culture all the surrounding areas cannot compare to their high art forms. Simply beautiful.

[@meniek99ss]

This is the most graceful of Balinese dance. The “Legong” dance is the quintessential Balinese dance in all its glory. A classical dance that springs from age-old temple dances performed to appease the gods, the “Legong” is the epitome of grace and beauty. I love to watch at the Ancak Saji Ubud Palace Court Yard built in the 16th Century.

[@dewawiadnya864]

A merriage of so many cultures - Chinese, Java, India, Western and others, then Bali was born. Love, dedication, and talent can only creates this performance

[@sunstarrfox]

they dance with their eyes and head too!I love it! very different than anything ive seen

[@irdiana]

Its so beautiful... makes me tear up just watching & thinking about it

[@brokenmetabot]

I love the music in this video! I adore the gamelan and this is a wonderful example :)

[@NSResponder]

Balinese dance is some of the most highly-developed art in the world. What you're seeing here is part of a continuous tradition that goes back centuries, to the Majapahit empire and beyond.

[@mrjjbrown]

Love how they do the eye thing!

[@edgeman09]

Nice dancing. Bali is a beautiful island.

[@15h0tmy531f]

i have a new goal in life now. i gotta smoke some weed, drop some acid and see this live. nothing's gonna stop me. the only dance i've seen where the eye movements are part of the dance. this is just too awesome. my mind is blown.

[@gatheringleaves]

absolutely beautiful

[@bowie1953]

this makes me miss bali have not been in nearly thre years

[@SweeetSpice]

This dance reminds me of the cambodian dance, they are different but similar at the same time Both are very beautiful

[@RikuRiku]

Beautiful

[@lizrou]

Most dance pieces have a set structure and the core melody is fixed but you are right in that certain instruments (drum, flutes) are improvising their parts...within limits and each performance will be slightly different as there is no notation and the musicians follow the movements of the dancers for tempo changes and accents etc. Different groups will play quite different variations of the same piece too. But yes, I also agree it is awesome!

[@yuki613bmw]

beautiful....

[@gamelanplan]

The Legong dance, which is in the beginning of the video, is traditionally performed by girls, or young women who are bounded underneath their costumes. The girls performing were probably somewhere in their teens.

[@LongHornist]

Thanks for watching my culture... Please Come again... ^^v

[@GroovinBirdie]

This is not a Lengong dance but excerpts of 3 difference dances. The first one is called Kupu-kupu Tarum dance (butterfly dance), the second one is Oleg Tambulilingan (danced in couple), the last one is Topeng dance (mask dance).

[@whygothic]

Mojave19:you're correct.Legong dance is normally performed by young girls, a novice level for them (definitely not by our standards!) which prepares their physique for the more complicated dances later.The teacher normally makes an appearance towards the end.

[@jm0277]

Superb!

[@yuki613bmw]

i like d dance n music

[@EvilStreaks]

That freaky demon thing that appears around 4:50 reminds me of Missy Elliot... Not being flippant. The whole thing is brilliant. Amazing movements. I don't understand what it all means, so I can't pretend to have a deep appreciation, but it was hypnotic and impressive, and it put me in the state I think it was intending to.

[@luisana20]

every country has its fascinating folk music. love this one.

[@WildPrimitiveSkills]

amazing

[@anisasummer]

Did balinese dancing when i was younger, you don't know how painful it is for your arms and fingers!

[@Valaria01]

Intriging dance... I wanna learn! :]

[@ugimardiani9422]

kt patut bangga dengan kesenian dan kebudayaan tradisional negara indonesia

[@MANNO7000]

I remember Ubud Gamelan and BINTANG BEER !

[@kumarsa108]

@brokenmetabot Me too Gamelan has this great vibration, im not sure how to express it.

[@dokyungkim7974]

beautiful! i love ubud so much.

[@lewisleeming]

Wow, this is so good it just blows my mind! This is so beautiful, mother nature would be totally pleased. The guy at the end is frikken scary though :) .

[@ayuganitri165]

Yes hindu is from India, but our culture is created by ourself. The dance the instrumental can not be found in india.

[@Tinymoezzy]

Like Ballet dancers it is all a matter of moving elongating the muscles and a good diet. Allot of strict dancers have the same shape. Hard to keep and maintain in a healthy manner but kudos to those who can.

[@lizrou]

They do look like birds at the beginning. Not sure of the story of this legong. The most popular bird dance is probably 'Cendrawasih', which is the dance of the Birds of Paradise. There are loads of videos of it on here too.

[@Poypoy91]

Saya ingin menari Tarian Bali please!!! ahahaha XD i danced javanese traditional dance when i was kid.. like when i was still in elementary school and when i have graduated from elementary school i never dance anymore.. but now im really really missing to dance again.. balinese dance hopefully.. ^_^ *P.S : sometimes i wished i was a balinese too :P

[@medstudz]

Bali - Island of the Gods! Hit Broadway Musical - South Pacific (go see this movie if you have not yet!) Bali Hai - Cheers!

[@kumarsa108]

Indeed and the Balinese are great Hindus.

[@TheShitpostKing]

god i love culture

[@cavalcalonda]

spettacolare ... cavalcalonda

[@kumarsa108]

@grinbau there are hindus in other parts of Indonesia, just Bali is the stronghold and the most culturally spendid in all Indonesia.

[@aothman1963]

There are similarity between this dance and Indian dance. The eye thing, the way they move their head and may be the custom dress they are wearing are almost similar. I'm not sure if you could call it a culture of their own. It originally comes from India.

[@rahimayasee7578]

India india india...bali is diferent hindus...i never see indian dance like this..in Baliness dance they're more move theyr eyes their fingers...and indian dance they're more move their boobs

[@ie9rws]

I'm crying TT

[@kumarsa108]

@kewlkewl12 what exactly do you know of Indian dance to say that? The dance form is vast in that country and bloody good in its highest form. If anything Balinese dance rivals it, but not technically better, it is just another form. It can only be better based upon personal preference.

[@watie8]

Legong Dance-Balinese.

[@harris1980]

the demon gun (4:44) looks like flava flav

[@27erial]

the dance with the green skirt pants, with the trailing tail, what is the story behide this dance?

[@EmOnLinE12]

its from bali, indonesia... been there?

[@aothman1963]

This dance is similar to Indian dance. Indian dance have this eye thing and the way they move their head also similar. I'm not sure if you could call it the culture of their own.

[@sandininikomang9214]

aothman1963 why? you feel threaten? or do you need a source of pride as indian? ok, if this is not balinese, can you dance their dances? or play their music?

[@thephilosopherkartik]

@lizrou Just wandering, do you speak any Indonesian? I'm Indian and it's 'eery' how many similarities there are in Indonesian vocabulary and Sanskrit! The name of the dance you mentioned 'Cendrawasih'; for example, seems to be exactly the same as the Sanskrit term for 'Inhabitants of the moon'.

[@sandininikomang9214]

thephilosopherkartik cendrawasih is a bird name. is there any culture in the world that has no influence from other culture? be proud of what you have without looking down at others. be exist without braging or boasting.

[@changtuber]

@Heropsychodream many Asians have little or no armpit hair, even the men. I had a Thai boyfriend, he had zero armpit hair and almost no facal hair, but of course thick gorgeous hair on his head :)

[@mojave19]

The two dancers in the beginning look about 11 or 12 years old. I love Balinese dance as an art form, but not girls this young in the heavy makeup of women, especially given what happens to children all to often in that part of the world.

[@Zortlyio]

Is this the "Birds Dance"? Am I right?

[@gulakapaspink]

@thephilosopherkartik @thephilosopherkartik Once upon a time, Hindu was the religion of the land, widespread even to Tanah Melayu (now peninsular Malaysia), until (probably Arabian) merchants came and introduced Islam and the sultans embraced the religion and it spread "Tatasusila" (ethics) are among the Sanskrit words still used in Bahasa Melayu today. There are two links i'd like to refer you to but youtube...

[@oyisirza897]

@Mahesh M how could you said the dances are origin india form ??!..of course these dances are our own Balinese/Indonesia creation,maybe India stole that dances from Bali..haha

[@grinbau]

even better in the villages...in the courtyard, as the sun goes down, the dancers prepare and the musicians take their places. Bali is still Hindu unlike the rest of Indonesia, that's what gives it its special flavor to a large extent, the culture was very influenced by India way back. Hence the Indian dance similarities no doubt.

[@Audovauld]

They move like shaddow puppets.

[@irdiana]

really? I would love to see that email me more please ^-^

[@glueturkey]

@jocelynmmlkuntz The Balinese interpretation of what dance is responsible for portraying is much more clearly stated as transmitting the message of "mother nature" than simply their display of "culture"--which to me is a condescending and limited word for what art is responsible for communicating. I make this claim because I am currently studying Balinese dance and using actual masks from Bali.

[@BaliBlogDe]

Beautyful! Bali-Blog.de der Deutsche Bali Blog

[@betenoireindustries]

and that says *what* about you, i wonder?

[@borednow]

well he IS playing a DEMON so

[@novanh]

they are probably 9-12 years old

[@GrizzlyRecoveryZone1]

@godfreyhowatchin must be american

[@oyisirza897]

@Rggvdegf efewfdeew -because they are 10-11 yrs old childs..

[@kyupyd]

of course indonesia can claim this dance as his culture u know, most of balinese people are HINDUISM.. and it came from India.. i think u should proud too that our culture beloved by a lot of people.. we should.. =)

[@sandininikomang9214]

Gunk Ade wherever i go when i meet indian they mostly say "oh it is from india" india..india...india.. if this from india, show me...

[@kikuk70]

Tari Legong koq gini seh..? ken ken..

[@dcmhsotaeh]

the origin of these dance forms is INDIA

[@sandininikomang9214]

Mahesh M if the dances are origin in india, it means we can see it or find it in india. i hve thousand friends from india, none of them know how to dance balinese dances. if you search in india none of these dances can be found there. come to bali i will teach you

[@EvilStreaks]

They look like they feel ridiculous, trying not to laugh. The first dancer to appear, especially.

[@pirate19ful]

omg. he's scary. :(

[@Heropsychodream]

I'm surprised her armpits are shaved... I thought that was a western thing. I guess it may have spread.

[@TheAdolfStyle]

These annoying background sounds that come frome the audience are so respectless.

[@ie9rws]

he looks creepy