This year I was not scheduled to perform in the LSO Balinese Concert as the gamelan aren’t playing any group male dances. Instead, I went along to one of the final rehearsals to take a few pictures of the dancers and the players in rehearsal.

I have found a little community where Westerners are playing Eastern music and dancing Eastern dances with care and reverence, honing their skills and making the individual parts interlock effortlessly. I get lost in reverie listening to the music, how effortlessly complex and beautiful it all sounds. And the dances too. I was sad not to have photographed Ni Made Pujawati dancing (but I photographed her and Wayan Din dancing last year in this blog.  )

If you’re interested in the Balinese dance form please look up Lila Bhawa online. They are a London-based Indonesian dance troupe who train regularly and welcome interest from male and female dancers. Lila Cita‘s Facebook group is more active with information, the gamelan group have 2 performances as year at the LSO where they also have a community gamelan group which teaches Balinese gamelan for beginners as well as professional musicians.