Ngurek Ceremony within the Balinese Barong Dance, "Ngurek"

Proud of his cultural heritage, Rudy Adnyana shares a powerful moment during the Barong dance, known as Ngurek. Male dancers recreate the part of the story where the soldiers stab themselves after the evil witch Rangda has put them under a spell. However Barong counters the spell by not allowing the men to be hurt by their keris (daggers). In this part of the dance, the men are in a trance, swaying back and forth, for it is believed spirits control their bodies so they do not get hurt during the performance. Women hold out smoldering chisels, believed to support the trance.