Legong Kraton

Courtesy of Wikipedia

Legong Kraton is one of the clasic dance in Bali and its believed to be a source of inspiration emergence of new creative dances in Bali. Legong dance is originally from Sukawati village, which is in Puri Paang Sukawati. From Sukawati legong keraton developing and spread out onto the villages in Bali such as Saba village in Puri Agung (now at Puri Taman, Saba), in Peliatan, in Bedulu, in Benoh Denpasar, and so forth. In the village of Saba, at Saba palace, according to I Gusti Gede Raka Legong Keraton already danced around the year 1911, under the direction and trainner of I Gusti Gede Oka who has a peerage "Anak Agung" in the village of Saba, which is his own grandfather.



Legong Kraton is a classical dance of Bali which has a very complex motion and bound by the structure of percussion accompaniment that supposedly influenced by Gambuh Dance. Legong Kraton word consisting of two words, Legong, and Kraton. Word of Legong its self come from two words as well, its probably derived from the english word "leg" means "kaki" meaning graceful dance movements. While the "gong" means gambelan. "Leg" and "gong" which merged into legong bound implies movement, especially its emphasis to the gambelan (music) that follows. And Keraton means Palace.
So Legong Kraton means the palace graceful dance that follows by the gambelan. There also a presumption that the Legong Kraton Dance comes from the development of the sacred Sang Hyang dance. The Legong dance accompany by special  pelegongan gambelan and some are accompanied by Semar pegulingan gambelan. The play that is usually used in the Legong is mostly derived from the story of Malate, especially the king Lasem story, kuntir and Jobog (Balinese King Sugriva story), Legod Bawa (The story when Brahma, and Wisnu looking for begining and end of the Shiva's Lingga), Kuntul (Acts Birds) Sudarsana ( sort of Calonarang), Palayon, Chandra Kanta and others.
The dance structures generally consist of Papeseon, pangawak, Pangecet and pakaad. As usual Legong dancers are always carried a hand fan. Legong Keraton is one of the sub dance of the Legong dance, In the village of Tista (Tabanan) there is another type called Legong Andir (Nandir) in Pura Agung Pajogan (Ketewel) are also wearing masks, names Sanghyang Legong dance or LegongTopeng. The areas considered as the Legong dance sources  in Bali are: Saba, Pejeng, Peliatan (Gianyar), Binoh, Kuta (Badung) and Tista (Tabanan).

Legong Kraton is the most popular among the legong dance. This dance was developed for tourism in Peliatan. Standard dances, danced by two people legong and a Condong. Condong appearance first, and then following by another two Legong dancer who dance legong lasem. This dance base on Panji sub story (the 12th century and into the 13th, the kingdom of Kediri), the duke (adipati) Lasem (now Rembang District) desire to propose the princess of Daha Kingdom (Kediri), Rangkesari. But he did a terrible mistake by kidnap her. The princess refused the proposal because she was bound by Raden Panji from Kahuripan. Knowing his sister kidnapped, king of Kadiri, who is brother of the princess Rangkesari, declare war and went to Lasem. Before the war, duke Lasem to face the Garuda lethal attack. He managed to escape but was killed in battle against the king of Daha.