Barong dance
Barong dance is a style of traditional Balinese from Bali, Indonesia. The dance demonstrates about the mythological depiction of animals that have supernatural powers and the ability to protect humans. Barong is the king of the spirits, leader of the hosts of good, and the enemy of Rangda, the demon queen and mother of all spirit guarders in the mythological traditions of Bali. The Barong dance featured a battle between Barong and Rangda to represent the eternal battle between good and evil.
Balinese ''Barong''
The Barong is a type of mythical lion, which is a popular dance in Bali. The dance originated in the Gianyar region, specifically Ubud, a popular destination for tourists to watch Balinese dance rituals. Within the Calon Arang, the dance drama in which the Barong appears, the Barong responds to Rangda's use of magic to control and kill her to restore balance. In traditional Barong dance performances, he is portrayed in his struggles against Rangda, a popular part of Balinese culture. The mythical creature would dance along the street to the Calon Arang dance. A priest would throw holy water at it. The dance opens with two playful monkeys teasing Barong in a peaceful environment.Keris dance
The Balinese keris dance is a segment of a Barong dance performance depicting a battle between Barong and Rangda, in which the dancers wield krises as weapons. The keris dance is considered sacred since it involves magical trance.During the scene, Rangda appears and casts black magic upon the male dancers, who represent Airlangga's soldiers, and orders them to commit suicide. Meanwhile, Barong and the priest cast protective magic on them, making them invulnerable to sharp objects. In a trance, the soldiers stab themselves with their kris, but remain unhurt.
The keris dance carries the risk for potentially deadly accidents. In February 2021, a 16-year-old male dancer died after being stabbed by his own kris, during a Rangda dance performance in Banjar Blong Gede, Pemecutan Kaja, Denpasar, Bali.