Spatiality of The Balinese Legong Topeng Dance Ritual: A Thematic Literature Review
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Abstract
This article explores the spatiality of the Balinese Legong Topeng (Ratu Sang Hyang Widyadari) dance ritual through a thematic literature review, focusing on how sacred space is co-produced through ritual performance, cosmological alignment, and embodied movement. Rather than treating space as a passive backdrop, this study adopts a performative and phenomenological lens to examine how space in Balinese ritual is dynamically constructed through the interaction of spatial configuration, temporal rhythm, directional choreography, and communal engagement. The review draws on interdisciplinary literature spanning performance studies, spatial theory, and Balinese indigenous epistemologies, particularly the concepts of the Tri Mandala, the Tri Matra (Desa-Kala-Patra), and the dialectic between the sakala (material) and niskala (spiritual) realms. Using interpretive thematic analysis, the study identifies six key themes that underpin (1) spatial structure: hierarchy, orientation and ritual delineation, (2) movement as spatial activation and cosmological mapping, (3) temporal-spatial interweaving and ritual intensity, (4) embodied interactions and affective atmosphere, (5) dialectics of sakala and niskala: from structure to vibration, and (6) relevance and implication: spatiality as sacred praxis. Findings suggest that sacred space in the Legong Topeng ritual is not inherent or fixed, but instead emerges through patterned ritual interactions, alignment with divine directions (Dewata Nawa Sanggha), and the lived experiences of performers and worshippers. The dancer’s body becomes a mediating axis (axis mundi), channelling cosmic forces and transforming the performance area into a site of heightened spiritual intensity. This study contributes to performance studies and spatial humanities by offering a culturally situated framework for understanding ritual spatiality grounded in Balinese knowledge systems. It also highlights the importance of future empirical research to explore further how sacred spatial practices are preserved, embodied, and transformed within the shifting landscape of contemporary Balinese ritual life.
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