The island of Bali is not only blessed with enchanting beaches and extraordinary natural landscapes, Bali also has amazing cultural traditions that are still well preserved by its residents.One of Bali's famous cultural heritages is the Barong dance. Barong dance is an art form that is often associated with spirituality. The dance, which depicts the classic battle between "Good and Evil", has become one of the most famous and beloved dances in Bali.In Balinese mythology, Barong is a figure in the form of a lion. This figure is considered a Spirit King who represents virtue, or also known as a 'guardian angel'. Meanwhile, Rangda (widow in Javanese) is a resistance figure from Barong. Rangda is also known as the Devil Queen who leads an army of evil witches. Not just an ordinary dance, Barong Dance exists as a reflection of life that depicts two characters in an endless battle.Similar to Sanghyang Dance, Barong Dance is an original Balinese culture that existed before the arrival of Hinduism to Bali. Like a lion, Barong is also wrapped in thick white fur around his face and decorated with various gold jewelry and mirror shards. Just like the Barongsai, the Barong is played by two dancers who agilely perform movements in a unified manner.In the dance drama, called Calon Arang, Pesona Friends will witness the story of Barong warding off Rangda's magic which rules the world. In the drama, it is also said that the men will fight each other using keris daggers, but when Barong appears, they change the direction of their keris and stab them at themselves. The players went into a trance. Barong then defeated Rangda so that nature returned to balance. Meanwhile, the players who were possessed were then reborn (reincarnated) thanks to the splash of holy water.Balinese people believe that each region has its own protective spirit to protect its forests and land. For each region, Barong is depicted with different animals. Barong Ket (Barong Lion) is the most common type of Barong found in almost all parts of the island. Meanwhile, Barong Buntut is a type of Barong that only emphasizes the front part, generally performed by a single dancer. Other types of Barong are Barong Landung (Giant Barong), Barong Celeng (Wild Boar Barong), Barong Macan, and Barong Naga.Barong performances can usually be easily found in many places in Bali. However, the most popular is the Barong performance in Batu Bulan Village in Gianyar district or the Barong performance in Kesiman, Denpasar.
