Jembrana, Bull Racing Center

The Unforgettable Leko Dance

In the regency of Jembrana there are some special types and styles of bamboo gamelan. The most popular one is jegog gamelan, which is the pride of Jembrana. The smaller bamboo gamelan, which is used to accompany folk dances, is known as bungbung gamelan. The other one is named as bungbung gebyog - the bamboo gamelan played by women. The inspiration was derived from the process of rice pounding. The costumes for all the dances mentioned above are very simple.

There is another type of dance called leko, which is similar to legong keraton with its colorful costumes and accessories. Two dancers dance gracefully in time, fans in hand. During the dance, the female dancers are calling up men to dance with them. The local audience and domestic and foreign tourists are invited to dance on the stage. It is an unforgettable experience not to be missed. Jembrana’s leko dance troupe will be coming to Denpasar to participate in the Bali Arts Festival 2003. (See the schedule for the Bali Arts Festival).
Jembrana has only one leko dance group, which started in 1915 in the village of Pancardawa-Pendem, 5 km north of Negara, the capital of Jembrana. The village is located in the hills and the people here are mostly farmers by profession and talented artists. It is said that after working hard at cultivating the rice fields, they all needed to relax and found time to dance and play bamboo instruments. The performance has been developed to bring us the style of this rare dance that we can see today. The former regent, Ida Bagus Indugosa, started to revive the leko dance in l991. Under the governance of the current regent, I Gede Winasa, the leko dance is also supported with guidance and funds. The government is the patron of artists, both traditional and contemporary. (BTN/035)