The Meaning of Baris Kraras Dance Performance at Mengwi, Badung, Bali in the Global Era
Ni Made Ruastiti

Abstract
This article was compiled from the research results that aimed to understand the meaning of BarisKraras Dance performance at Mengwi, Badung, Bali in the global era. This research was conducted due to the imbalance between the assumption and the reality in real life. Generally, advanced and modern society will be more interested with and enthusiastic to maintain the form of performances in which the choreography is beautiful and easy, and the performance is affordable. However, the reality is different. The questions are: how is the form of the BarisKraras dance performance?; what is the meaning contained inside the performance in this global era?. This research applied qualitative method. The sources of the research data were the BarisKraras dance performance, the related informants including the dancers, stakeholders, religious leaders, custom leaders, elders of Mengwi Palace, local people, and journals of similar research results that have been produced by previous researchers. All data, which had been collected by observation techniques, interviews, and literature studies, were then analyzed by using aesthetic theory, religious theory, and the theory of power relations.The results showed that: The society of Mengwi, Badung performed the BarisKraras Dance in the conventional form without story. It could be seen from the way of presentation, choreography, performance structure, dressing, makeup and musical accompaniment of the performance. Currently, people of Mengwi, Badung, Bali still preserve BarisKraras Dance because they consider that the dance has religious, social and cultural meanings. The belief of the local society in myths about the essence of life that underlies the ceremonial dance was so strong so that until now they still preserve BarisKraras Dance.

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