Indonesia’s Bali seeks to protect traditional dance by banning erotic version
Several viral videos of Balinese performers wearing revealing outfits and dancing sensuously have forced the authorities to take action
The Indonesian island of Bali has banned a variation of a traditional dance that involves erotic performances to protect its “dignity and honour”.
Officials said joged bumbung, which originated in the 1940s in Buleleng regency, has deviated from long-held customs in recent years, deploying sexually suggestive dance moves to keep both locals and foreign tourists engaged.
It is also staged at wedding ceremonies, social gatherings and major religious events.
Sang Made Mahendra Jaya, the acting governor of Bali, said the risqué-filled gyrations “exploited” the human body and violated the rules of Balinese dance, which were based on logic, ethics, and the established aesthetics of the Hindu religion.
He said the acts and sharing them on social media were outlawed as they “smeared the dignity and honour of Balinese art and dance”.
The prohibition applies only to the sensual version of joged bumbung, which was declared an intangible cultural heritage by Unesco in 2015.
