Mebarung

Mebarung denotes a traditional Balinese community event, perhaps most aptly analogous to a western "Battle of the Bands" - but in a rich popular context of living traditional arts not seen in the contemporary western event. In the mebarung form, the local performers of respective neighboring regions perform their most complex and showy repertoire in informal civic settings, before partisan fans. These Mebarung performances center on the gamelan orchestra, often additionally presenting the associated regions' dance troupes. The repertoire is wide, ranging from the topeng (short, masked dances) and tari lepas (through-composed free-standing dance pieces) common to concerts- and larger choreographed dances- as well as the intricate, virtuosic works known as tabuh kreasi baru ("new creations").