Wolfgang's photos with the keyword: Dance

Denpasar was the site of a suicidal battle of the rajas of Badung against the Dutch Militia in 1906. A large open square in the centre of the city, named Puputan Square, commemorates the event. The two young ladies dancing to celebrate the memoral of the awful battle.

Gek Shanti, a young schoolgirl dancing the Legong at the Puputan place in Denpasar. The anniversary of Puputan is remembered each year with ceremonies held across Bali at the various places where Puputan occurred. Gek Shanti, a schoolgirl in the upper class in Denpasar High School of is dancing every year at the Puputan ceremony hold on the same named place in Denpasar.

The dance ends with the final battle between Barong the lion and and Rangdathe witch, concluding with the victory of Barong over Rangda. Rangda runs away, the evil is defeated, and the celestial order is restored. Then this Legong dancing girl finish the performance and the show is closed. This photo was captured during my visit on Bali in 2001 with a CANON A-1 camera and a KODAK Ektachrome 50 ASA slidefilm. Scanned with a NIKON CoolScan V ED.

Two demons and the wild boar as servants of the witch named Rangda. Rangda, is the mother queen of all the evil spirits with an army of demons and evil witches who practice black magic at her disposal. She is depicted as an old woman, with long and unkempt hair, pendulous breasts and claws, and her face is traditionally portrayed with fanged teeth and a long, protruding tongue. This photo was captured during my visit on Bali in 2001 with a CANON A-1 camera and a KODAK Ektachrome 50 ASA slidefilm. Scanned with a NIKON CoolScan V ED.

Legong is a refined dance form characterized by intricate finger movements, complicated footwork, and expressive gestures and facial expressions. Legong probably originated in the 19th century as royal entertainment. Legend has it that a prince of Sukawati fell ill and had a vivid dream in which two maidens danced to gamelan music. When he recovered, he arranged for such dances to be performed in reality. Girls from the age of five aspire to be selected to represent the community as Legong dancers.

The “Legong” dance is the quintessential Balinese dance in all its glory. A classical dance that springs from age-old temple dances performed to appease the gods, the “Legong” is the epitome of grace and beauty. It is characterised by highly stylised slow movements. Its delicacy is heightened by the fact that is performed by richly costumed young dancers (sometimes only four years old), many of whom retire at the tender age of 18.