Holiday Ayo - Bali is one of the provinces in Indonesia that has a variety of customs and cultures. In the cultural aspect, Bali has several types of dance that are characteristic of the island of the Gods, the nickname Bali. One of the dances in Bali is the Legong dance.

Legong dance is a traditional Balinese dance that has complex movements in the form of a combination of dancer movements with gamelan music accompaniment.

The word Legong comes from the word "leg" which means flexible or elastic and then interpreted as a graceful movement. Furthermore, the word "gong" which means gamelan.

Legong dance was developed in Balinese palaces in the 19th century. It is said that the idea of the dance was initiated by a prince from Sukawati who was seriously ill in a dream to see two girls dancing gracefully. Where accompanied by a beautiful gamelan.

source: Kompas.com

When the prince recovered, his dream was then poured into a full gamelan dance. Since the 19th century, there seems to be a shift in Legong dance, from the palace to the village. Reporting from the website of the Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemdikbud), women who had experienced training in the palace returned to the village and taught Legong dance to the next generation.

Many sakeha (groups) Legong formed and spread in several areas in Bali, especially in Gianyar and Badung. In subsequent developments, Legong dance is no longer a palace art but belongs to the general public.

Even the influence of the palace has been getting weaker since the fall of Bali to the Dutch in 1906-1908. Some movements were changed, some were added and some were reduced and no longer wearing masks. So that the Legong dance that is enjoyed now is different from the Legong dance in the beginning.

source: Kompas.com

Legong dance is no longer a manifestation of the ancestors like the Sang Hyang dances but is performed for the entertainment of the ancestors and not for traditional rituals.

Quoted from the book Evolution of Balinese Dance (1996) by I Made Bandem, the Legong dance has never been written in some Balinese historical ejections.

However, this dance is very famous in the puri because it was popularized by the palace staff. Some elements of the Legong dance imply its relationship with Javanese Hindu beliefs and culture. Now, in the village, the Legong dance is performed if necessary for religious ceremonies. His ancestor, Sang Hyang, performed in relation to animist beliefs.

As for his other ancestors, namely Gambuh, he expressed the articulation of ideas from Majapahit. Initially, Legong was also associated with court Hinduism which was of high value. However, now it is related to the Hindu Dharma religion which is more secular in nature.