Bali Culture

Bali Culture is renowned for its diverse and sophisticated art forms, such as painting, sculpture, woodcarving, handcrafts, and performing arts. Balinese percussion orchestra music, known as gamelan, is highly developed and varied. Balinese performing arts often portray stories from Hindu epics such as the Ramayana but with heavy Balinese influence. Famous Balinese dances include pendet, legong, baris, topeng, barong, gong keybar, and kecak (the monkey dance). Bali boasts one of the most diverse and innovative performing arts cultures in the world, with paid performances at thousands of temple festivals, private ceremonies, or public shows.

Bali Culture - Celebrations are held for many occasions such as a tooth-filing (coming-of-age ritual), cremation or odalan (temple festival). Many celebrations call for a loud, boisterous atmosphere with lots of activity and the resulting aesthetic, ramé, is distinctively Balinese. Kaja and kelod are the Balinese equivalents of North and South, which refer to ones orientation between the island’s largest mountain Gunung Agung (kaja), and the sea (kelod). Most temples have an inner courtyard and an outer courtyard which are arranged with the inner courtyard furthest kaja. These spaces serve as performance venues since most Balinese rituals are accompanied by any combination of music, dance and drama.

Bali Culture

The performances that take place in the inner courtyard are classified as wali, the most sacred rituals which are offerings exclusively for the gods, while the outer courtyard is where bebali ceremonies are held, which are intended for gods and people. Bali is an island in Indonesia. Culturally and linguistically, Balinese people have closer relationship to the people form the Indonesian archipelago, the Philippines, and the Oceania. Bali culture is strongly influenced by Chinese, Indian, and the Hindu culture. The gamelan, the Balinese percussion orchestra is highly developed and diverse. Bali also has one of the most diverse and creative performing arts culture in the world. They usually stage paid performances in thousand of temple festivals, public shows, and private ceremonies.

Bali Culture

Bali Culture - There are ceremonial art forms which call for improvisation so as to provide the performer flexibility to adapt the performance to the present situation. The inner and outer courtyards of some temples serve as spaces for performances since most Balinese rituals are performed with any combination of music, dance, and drama. Performances in the inner courtyard are called wali. The performances for the entertainment of the people take place outside the walls of the temple. These performances are called bali-balihan.

With the high rate of tourism in the island, Bali Culture people now have more chance to showcase their arts. The foreign audience is always eager to pay and see performances.