Undiknas students perform almost extinct classical dance at PKB

Denpasar (National Archipelagic Wire) - The Bandha Iswari Dance Undiknas Denpasar Student Activity Unit (UKM) performed the Classic Gotong Royong Dance, a dance that tells the story of ancient life which is currently almost extinct, at the Bali Arts Festival (PKB) XLVIII in 2026.

"The Gotong Royong dance is the most unique because it tells the story of ancient times and is a type of dance that is rarely known by the wider community," said the General Chairperson of the Iswari Bandha Dance UKM, National Education University (Undiknas) Denpasar, Ni Putu Anggi Permatasari in Denpasar, Friday.

This dance fragment rekasadana (performance) performance entitled Nitya Praba Ing Lango highlights the history of maestro I Nyoman Kaler's journey while working at Karang Masdjati Pedungan in the 1950s.

Apart from showing the story of the Karangasem maestro and pioneer, this dance performance representing the academic world deliberately re-explores old works that are starting to sink.

This step in reconstructing classical dance was deliberately taken to educate the younger generation as well as introduce the rich treasures of Balinese art and culture which have not been popular on social media.

"We aim to introduce dances that are not yet popular to the public, and hope that the performances run smoothly and that the 2026 PKB and future events will be even better," said Anggi.

To present a mature performance, production management involved 22 dancers and was supported by a corps of traditional musicians totaling 35 musicians.

Preparation for the performance took one month, during which the artistic team faced dynamics in the form of problems with dividing student study time and managing the intensive rehearsal process.

Apart from the Mutual Cooperation Dance, the performance on the night of PKB 2026 also presented three other legendary works inherited from the maestro, namely the Panji Semirang Dance, the Cakra Wakre Dance and the Folk Dance.

This performance received widespread appreciation from PKB 2026 visitors because it succeeded in bringing back the original spirit of classical Balinese dance to the center of the modern stage.