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Barong Dance Storyline

Barong Dance Storyline
picture by : indonesiakaya.com


The barong dance movement is no less unique than other traditional Balinese dances. In its performance, this dance is performed in 5 stages which are described as follows:

The Opening Gending is a picture of a barong and a monkey playing in the forest, then 3 people came wearing masks and made a scene and destroyed the forest. There was a fight between them, wherein the monkey was able to cut the nose of one of them.
  1. Round I is the part about the appearance of two dancers. Both of them were followers of Rangda who were looking for followers of Dewi Kunti who had traveled to meet the governor. 
  2. Round II is when Dewi Kunti's followers arrive and Rangda turns into a demon who infuses an evil spirit into Dewi Kunti's followers and makes her angry. 
  3. Round III is the appearance of Dewi Kunti with her son Sahadewa. Then he promised Rangda to hand over Sahadeva as a sacrifice. Actually, Dewi Kunti was not willing to sacrifice her child, but the devil made Dewi Kuni angry and there was an intention to sacrifice her child. Apart from that, he also ordered his patih to get Sahadeva into the forest. The patihnya followed the order because he was possessed by an evil spirit so that Sahadeva was locked up in the Rangda palace.
  4. Round IV is the appearance of Lord Shiva who gives immortality to Sahadeva without Rangda's knowledge. Then when Rangda killed Sahadeva, Sahadeva could not die because he had immunity to death from Dewa Sewa. Then Rangda gave up and asked for safety in order to enter heaven. The order was granted by Sahadeva. 
  5. Round V tells about Kalika, namely Rangda's follower facing Sahadeva. The two have a fight where Kalika turns into a Boar. In this fight, Sahadeva won the battle. Furthermore, Kalika turns into a bird but is still defeated. Then Kalika changed back to Rangda, but Sahadeva could not kill him. Sahadeva then changed to Barong. Because both of them are equally powerful, the battle between good and evil lasts forever.
The uniqueness of Barong Dance

Barong dance is a cultural heritage of Bali with all its uniqueness. The following are the characteristics and uniqueness of Balinese barong dance, including:

There is a barong character who is the main character of this dance
Tells the story of good and bad in the world
Has a unique and sacred storyline
Dancers perform energetic and rare movements
Barong Dance Development

Barong dance is a famous sacred dance in Bali. However, in its development, this dance is also a spectacle for public entertainment and is part of a tourism magnet.

In addition, the barong dance is also a form of Balinese people's efforts to preserve traditions and culture.