Balinese Bumble Bee dancer kneels with her arms up and palms towards audience
About this photograph
- Creator
- Margery H. Freeman
- Date created
- 1986
- Location
- Peliatan, Bali, Indonesia
- License
- This photograph copyright ©2007. Terms of use
See this photograph in context
- Traditional performing arts in Bali: Photographs and text illustrate traditional performance in Bali, including music, theater, and dance. (Page 17)
Related media
Learn more
- Search LEARN NC for Bali, Bumble Bee dance, choreography, costumes, dance, Indonesia, Peliatan, performance, and theater.
In the classroom
- See our collection of articles on visual literacy for ideas on using photographs meaningfully in the classroom.
A young Balinese woman dances the “Bumble Bee” dance in a yellow, blue, and silver costume. Here she kneels with her arms held up to shoulder height and her palms facing the audience. She moves her outstretched fingers and arms gracefully at shoulder height, with her eyes diverted sharply to the side. She wears a tall golden crown and jeweled collar piece.
The Bumble Bee dance is a modern addition to the Balinese dance repertoire. It was created in 1952 by a choreographer called Mario, and became a favorite of tourist audiences. Now it is performed as a love duet with a male bee courting a female bee. As the name suggests, the movements and music are very fast-paced.
