The well-known Bali Arts Festival is a month-long celebration of the traditional as well as contemporary arts, crafts, dance, music and performances of the Indonesian province of Bali. As the event is focused on the provincial capital of Denpasar, an enthralling array of Balinese artistes converge on the city to present their finest artistic creations. At this unique extravaganza, visitors will be able to witness dances from remote mountainous areas, long-forgotten and revived dance forms, classic palace dance presentations, renowned stars of the Balinese stage and innovative productions of the Denpasar dance schools as well as choreographic creations from other parts of Indonesia and abroad.
The people of Bali take great pride in their cultural heritage. Even in remote villages, the outstanding artistes vie with each other for the opportunity to represent their village and the artistic heritage of their ancestors on this grand stage. The Bali Arts Festival naturally features the traditional dances of the province – like the gambuh, legong, barong and kecak to name a few – but also innovative contemporary choreographic presentations where old rural dances and musical features have been revived and refashioned. In this way, traditional Balinese epics like the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Panji and Sutasoma have been adapted into refashioned ballets.
Visitors are warmly welcomed to the one-of-a-kind festival, and no-one will be left unmoved by the enthralling dance and musical presentations as well as the other features of the event. The Balinese dance tradition is very ancient and forms a crucial part of religious ceremonies as well as entertainment-oriented presentations. The dancers employ the entire body, including the hands, fingers and torso as well as eye and head motions to express the story. Balinese dancers start learning their art when still very young, gradually mastering the intricate movements and expressions of the dance form. The dances are closely interlinked with the music of the gamelan, an ensemble of traditional musicians. No visit to Bali would be complete without experiencing the colourful spectacle that is Balinese dance.

Well-informed visitors considering Bali hotels will find an excellent choice in the Anantara Seminyak Bali. This quality Bali hotel offers comfortable accommodations as well as a selection of superb amenities.

Angela Fernando is an impassioned travel writer who composes pieces under the pen name Sumaira Narayan. She loves writing about new and exciting places around the world and hopes to visit them all someday. Google+