Leko is a type of social dance, may be a flirtation dance as a matter of fact. In old days, Leko was a palace dance, designed for the entertainment of the king, nowadays it is a popular social dance that anybody can enjoy and participate. It is performed by a pairs of female dancers and usually involves the audience. Leko can only be found in Western part of Bali, in the regency of Tabanan and Jembrana.

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The Bali Arts Festival is a full month of daily performances, handicraft exhibitions and other related cultural and commercial activities during which literally the whole of Bali comes to the city to present its offerings of dance, music and beauty. On display are trances from remote mountain slopes, forgotten or recently revived village dances, food and offering contests, classical palace dances, stars of Balinese stage, odd musical performances, “kreasi baru” (new creations), as well as contemporary choreography and dance companies from other islands and from abroad.

Photo journal of Bali Arts Festival 2007
Day 01, Saturday, 16 June 2007
Time: 15.00
Event: Opening Procession Of The 29^thAnnual Bali Arts Festival 2007
Venue: Monumen Perjuangan Rakyat Bali (Bajra Sandhi People’s Struggle Monument), Denpasar

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Before we talk about a Balinese stage, let us take a glance on what Oxford Advance Learners Dictionary has to offer on the word ‘stage’ in the context of theater – a raised area, usually in theater, etc. where actors, dancers, etc. perform. When we apply this definition on what is called stage by the Balinese, it is clear that there are only few stages in Bali. But when we define the word “stage” as Balinese define it – place to perform a performance, everywhere is a stage in Bali. For wherever there is a space to dance, to mount a play, there is the Balinese stage.

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A peasant of Manggis had a beautiful daughter called Ayu Manggis. She went with her father to the market at Gelgel to sell firewood. Now it came to the ears of the King Baturenggong that the smell of herurine was so delicious that even bees and bumble- bees were attracted by its fragrance. When he heard this he desired to possess her, for she must surely be of divine birth.The king commanded her father to give her to him, but he refused, for she was his only for a moment.

He made love with her while the father waited, after which he gave her back to him. And the king said: ‘if she has a daughter, let her keep the child. If it is a son, he shall come into the palace’ and she bore a son but she did not tell him who his father was, but kept him for herself. And when he grew up he asked after his father, and she said: ‘you have no father,’ and the boy said ‘how can that be? Every banana has to be planted. Whoever planted me is my father.’ So then she had to tell him. And when he heard who is his father was he went to Gelgel. And in Gelgel, under a great tree, was a stone on which the king sat when he gave audience. And the small boy sat down on the stone. In vain the courtiers tried to chase him away, he would not move. So the headman went and told the king.

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In 2003, Bali was still reeling with the after-effects of the bomb. Depression loomed large. A number of expat women decided to form a group called Grup Gedebong Goyang. A Gedebong is a banana tree trunk, usually large, white and without any shape. Goyang means to move or sway the hips. The name was funny and made people laugh and it stuck.

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Poleng, or chessboard pattern of alternating black and white squares is surely the most distinguished motif of Balinese cloth. One can hardly miss the presence of a poleng cloth around him due to the striking contrast of colors used in the motif. But poleng is not made for attracting attention of the onlookers, it express Balinese point of view towards life.

Since Poleng is the national color of Bali, it can be found virtually everywhere in the island. Poleng clothes are usually wound round big tree trunks, big rocks, statues and shrines. Banners, flags, and umbrellas that are used in a procession of the ceremony sometimes made of poleng clothes. Poleng clothes are also used by the Balinese traditional security forces (pecalang), poleng cloth is considered to be an obligatory part of pecalang outfits. There is also a warrior dance (baris) which is called Baris Poleng. As its name suggests, the dancers’ apparels consist predominantly of poleng clothes.

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