Legong: The Women's Dance

Legong is a popular form of Balinese dance drama, which achieved its modern-day form between 1915 and 1935 (Davies 318). This form is regarded as a showcase of women's movements in Balinese dance, and no Balinese dancer's training is complete without a solid Legong foundation (Davies 318). Traditionally, a Legong dance consist of three young girls: a codong who dances a prelude, and two identically-costumed legong (Davies 314). Most often, Legong is presented at temple ceremonies as a secular dance, however, it's also frequently performed for tourists. Authentic Legong repertoire pieces can last anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour, but performances for tourists are usually cut to about 15 minutes. Traditional narratives performed in Legong include the King of Lasem, the battle of the monkey brothers Subali and Sugriwa, a tale of the witch Calonarang, and the King of China. When performing a narrative, the story is always second to the beauty of the dance itself. Most abstract pieces can represent almost anything from nature, including the heron, butterflies, bees, the sun and moon, or even the scent of jasmine (Davies 315).  

An interesting aspect of Legong are its regional differences. These differences include variations in steps and body position, choreography, the use of props, costume details, and in the music itself. In Peliatan, for example, the basic stance is more sideways and forward, the chin is pointed up, and the shoulders are lower (Davies 330). Prior to 1970, there was a deep backbend in the codong's dance, where the dancer plants her feet and bends back as far at the waist as possible, sometimes almost touching the floor with her headdress! While it was likely impressive, this movement is not currently included in "standard" Legong (Davies 330). A more significant mark of a regional difference is the expressive mood and manner of movement. In some areas, the style is more aggressive and strong, while other regions favor a more graceful and liquid style (Davies 331). Local audiences hold their own values regarding regional differences in Legong. Factors influencing this include geography, family, and being familiar enough with the variations in order to accept them. While Legong is respected in all its variations, local audiences will consider their regional difference as more beautiful and appealing (Davies 332). 

Here is a video of a traditional Legong!

Notice the prelude of the codong, and the entrance of the identically-costumed legong at 7:20.

You can also hear singing along with the gamelan orchestra accompaniment. 

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUCRRamjHVQ

Page Source:

Davies, Stephen. 2006 "Balinese Legong: Revival or Decline?" Asian Theatre Journal 23 (2): 314-341