Abstract

In my understanding of the current status of the legong dance in Bali, despite dedicated local attempts to revitalize the genre, it is in decline. The debilitation of local Balinese arts is influenced by global and national socioeconomic trends, and, while the centralization of dance education in institutes may guarantee the preservation of representative dances and styles, it simultaneously alienates the dance from the grassroots public that formerly was the source of its strength and appreciation. Such changes undermine the standard of performance more generally as well as legong, because legong is the nursery and proving ground for all genres of Balinese women’s dance.