The Barong and Keris Cultural Dance performance is a play told by dance and music. The performance represents the eternal fight between good and evil. Good is represented by the mythical, lion-like animal, the Barong, protector of the village. Evil takes the form of a mythical monster, the Rangda, traditionally represented as a dagger, symbolising evil and chaos.
The play, acted out with the use of puppets and costumes is a colorful visual confrontation of dance, music and story. It’s extremely visual and musical although without any background or explanation, it’s hard to follow. Even with a synopsis provided on a sheet – a form of playbill – without a prior understanding of some of the characters, it’s still hard to follow. We enjoy the music and visual aspect of it and I give up trying to follow the story during the performance.
Later I find out that the narrative of the story isn’t exactly fixed but typically involves a battle between Barong and the evil spirit Rangda, who seeks to harm the villagers. During the conflict, Barong’s strength and protective nature are showcased as he fights against Rangda’s dark forces. The story culminates in a dramatic dance performance, illustrating the themes of balance, harmony, and the eternal struggle between light and darkness. Ultimately, the tale emphasizes the importance of community, spirituality, and the belief that good will triumph over evil.
Afterwards, I study the playbill, which seems to follow this general recipe. The moral is clear though – the battle between good and evil is ongoing. Choose your side wisely!
Prelude
The dance begins with three men making palm wine in the forest. Nearby are a tiger and a monkey. One of the man’s children was killed by a tiger and, emotions raw, the men attack the tiger. The monkey helps the tiger to defend itself against the men.
Act 1
In the first act, two girls, the servants of the evil Rangda, appear. They are looking for the servants of Dewi Kunti, the noble mistress, on their way to meet Patih, the prime minister.
Act 2
In the second act, one of the evil’s servant girls changes into a witch and enters both Dewi Kunti’s servants, making them angry. They subsequently meet the prime minister and continue on to find Dewi Kunti.
Act 3
The third act opens with Dewi Kunti and her son, Sadewa, whom she has promised to sacrifice to Rangda. Another witch appears and enters Dewi Kunti, making her angry too. She orders the prime minister to bring her son, Sadewa, into the forest. By this time Patih has also been entered by a witch and so feels no pity for Sadewa who is taken into the forest and tied to a tree.
Act 4
The fourth act shows the god Siwa appearing and giving Sadewa immortality. Soon after, Rangda appears ready to kill and eat Sadewa. However, somehow Sadewa survives. Rangda surrenders and begs to be redeemed whereby Sadewa kills Rangda who is admitted to heaven.
Act 5
During the fifth and final act, Kalika, one of Rangda’s servants, also wishes for redemption, however Sadewa refuses. This makes Kalika angry and she changes herself into a boar to fight Sadewa. The boar is defeated and changes herself into a bird, only to be defeated again. Eventually she appears as Rangda (evil) whereby Sadewa appears as a Barong (good). The battle continues and followers of the Barong appear and help in the fierce battle which seems to have no end. And so, the battle between good and evil is never ending.
Good To Know
The Barong and Keris Cultural Dance show lasts about an hour. Even with a flyer in front of me explaining the story, it seems a bit abstract and is hard to follow on stage. Nevertheless, the costumes are colorful, the music interesting and the acting amusing. Perhaps akin to a good ballet, it might be better to just enjoy the spectacle and not take the story too seriously. It’s worth the visit.
Would I Return?
No. There are many other cultural shows and dances to check out. This is just one of them.
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