Ubud Palace Legong Dance

Legong Dance 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. Girls from the age of five are selected to represent the community as Legong dancers and Su had told us that they are reasonably paid as performers. Locals refer to the Legong Dance by its complete designation - ‘Legong Kraton’ - which loosely translates as the ‘dance of the royal palace’. We attended this show near the Royal Palace, a landmark in Ubud Central, which is open to the public. The gamelan orchestra consisted of at 20 men and the music was "shimmery" as was the dance; very professional in both costuming and choreography and the ticket was only cost 100,000 IDR per person (less than $10 CDN). If you are in Bali, don't miss this!Read more