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It’s a muggy afternoon in Bali and there’s marinated snapper grilling inside a bamboo shoot over an open flame. I’ve been invited to lunch at the home of a craftsman who lives in a rural village with his wife and multigenerational family. Between frying vegetable fritters and ladling palm syrup over rice flour pancakes topped with grated coconut, she sits for a rest in the outdoor kitchen. I off-handedly mention to our Niskala guide and translator that I’m eager to learn about Balinese dance, and a look registers on the matriarch’s face. Lifting her arms, she bends her elbows at an angle as her fingers splay and bend backward. She rotates her wrists in a flowing pattern, abruptly freezing to dart her eyes to the right, then over to the left. “She used to be a dancer,” her daughter murmurs from across the kitchen. The mother smirks and stops. In the coming weeks I’d see the Legong, Barong, and even the Kecak ‘fire dance,’ but it was this fleeting moment in the middle of the countryside that, for me, cemented traditional dance as an intangible heritage.
My earliest memories orbit around dance. Aromas of musty velvet theater curtains, the lingering smell of hairspray and carnation bouquets backstage. The texture of my costumes festooned in scratchy sequins and tulle. Chopin’s Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9, No. 2 for ballet combinations, or Portishead’s Dummy pulsing through the speakers for jazz warm-up. For nearly 20 years, my worldview was shaped through the lens of dance. As an art form, maybe, but mostly as a culture of other dancers who guided me through all of adolescence’s most inelegant stages. Pirouettes were learned in tandem with what to do when you get your first period (which I eventually did, at an overnight dance retreat). It’s not so surprising, then, that dance is the cultural viscera I chase when traveling.
I’m no scholar, but it’s a safe assumption that the history of dance is shoulder-to-shoulder with other cultural expressions like painting or music—though I imagine it isn’t an easy task to chronicle ephemeral art from thousands of years ago. That said, there are paintings that prove dance dates back several millennia; a linchpin for rites of passage, wedding celebrations, spiritual ceremonies, and storytelling in communities all around the world. Some of these traditional dances remain private, while others have turned outward to tourism as one way to share and preserve their cultural heritage for posterity.
On a recent misty evening in the Soutpansberg Mountains of South Africa’s Limpopo region, a troupe of female dancers adorned in beaded necklaces and twisted grass anklets gathered around three drums with animal hides stretched across their wooden shells. Clapping rhythmically, the women shared the call and response Malende dance of their local Venda people. In between songs, a man from the Venda pointed out that all of the women dancing were over 50. “We’re here [at Few Far Luvhondo] because we hope more people will see and support the younger Venda generations to embrace these dances.” A swirl of competing modern influences is now posing a threat to the survival of these cultural expressions in areas across Africa, such as Zimbabwe. In response, community-focused programming for travelers (like the dance I attended) are joining these conservation efforts.
But with this pivot toward a global audience comes a responsibility (on part of said global audience) to not lose the plot. Back in 2022 along Kapalua’s volcanic shoreline, cultural advisor Clifford Nae’ole offered an insight that has since lodged itself in my brain. “Visitors coming to Maui shouldn’t expect an amusement park,” he said to me, underlining the distinction between entertainment and heritage. “Learn our history, so if there is anything that is happening in your realm that may help the plight of the Hawaiian people, you can be part of the solution.” It was quite the marching order to carry into my hula class later that afternoon, but one that resonated as I mirrored sacred movements symbolizing the sun, land, and sea.
Ultimately, dance is a prism for understanding people. Their resistance, passion, grief, transcendence, and joyful celebration. For those communities willing to share this with visitors (through ceremony or education at cultural centers), don’t neglect the opportunity. And if you’re asked to join—the only answer is yes. I’ve been welcomed into a swaying circle of Samburu women, leaped between moving bamboo poles beside the Manggarai, and heel-toed my cowboy boots across a dance hall in Montana—each experience deepening an appreciation for each culture’s singular identity (and serving as a humbling reminder I should probably stick to ballet).
So, to travelers mapping out their itineraries, take note: every culture has its own form of traditional movement, a few of which are highlighted below. Clear your dance card.
Khmer (Cambodia)
Dotted with temples and surrounded by ancient ruins and sacred mountains, Cambodia is a landscape imbued with spirituality. Travelers checking into Amansara should book the Dance Devotion experience, which brings guests to the sacred dancers of Angkor Conservatoire. Here, classic Khmer dance is preserved in its native form (not a performance, but a spiritual offering) and guests have the opportunity to watch both rehearsals and the basrei ceremony. Afterward, a master teacher guides guests through a few hand movements and storytelling techniques.
Viennese Waltz (Austria)
Experience the glittering glamour of Viennese waltz during the city’s Ball Season, which runs from November through April. During this time, Austria’s gilded capital hosts over 400 balls that evoke its imperial past (particularly the Opera Ball that is held in the most beautiful ballroom in the world: the Vienna State Opera). Guests staying at Almanac Palais Vienna can book their Night at the Ball package, which includes a private dance lesson, couture gown, and horse-drawn carriage to the ball (with a limousine return at the end of the night, plus an in-room breakfast and spa treatment the following morning).
Legong (Bali)
Hinduism’s cultural influence sweeps across all aspects of life on the island of Bali, especially through expressions like traditional dance. There are several styles that visitors can observe—from the Kecak ‘fire dance’ to the Barong and Kris ‘dagger dance’—but definitely don’t miss out on Legong while on the island. With its vibrant facial expressions and complex finger and foot movements, the story of a king who finds a lost maiden is colorfully brought to life. If you’re eager to dive deeper into meaning behind these intricate movements, take a Balinese dance lesson at Hoshinoya Bali, held in a gazebo overlooking the jungle.
Tango (Argentina)
Argentina and Uruguay have long sparred over who invented tango, but if you find yourself in the former, book an experience with Untamed Traveling to experience the authenticity of Argentine Tango. Activities can range from lessons to an overnight stay in a tango hotel in San Telmo (the oldest neighborhood in Argentina). If educational tourism is your love language, they can even take you to a lecture about the history of the tango, followed up by a visit to a milonga where locals go dancing.
Bon Odori (Japan)
Japan is home to hundreds of styles of traditional dance, from Kabuki’s dramatic theater sequences to the Geisha’s graceful Kyomai movements. For travelers looking for an authentic, immersive dance experience, the Gujo Odori Festival in the Gifu prefecture lasts from July to September. This dance festival takes place during the obon period when the Japanese honor ancestral spirits, and there are ten recognized dances (which you’re encouraged to learn on the spot from your neighbor). Even better: many attendees opt to wear yukata kimonos and elevated wooden sandals called geta.
Sau Sau (Rapa Nui)
Rapa Nui (also known as Easter Island) is the southernmost point of Oceania’s Polynesia Triangle. Its rich culture and heritage is celebrated at Nayara Hangaroa (a luxury hotel owned by a local family) where guests of the property are invited to learn about the traditional dress, and can see expressions of the Haka’Ara Tupana dance group two times a week during peak season. One of the most common styles of dance is the Sau Sau; a joyful rocking of the arms and hips with dancers in skirts crafted from feathers or grasses.
Sema (Türkiye)
This enigmatic dance, practiced by members of the Mevlevi Order of Sufi Muslims known as ‘whirling dervishes,’ dates back to the 13th century and the teachings of the poet and mystic Rumi. Often called a ‘moving meditation,’ the ritual (known as the sema) features dancers in tall hats and flowing white robes spinning in circles to reach a state of spiritual transcendence. The dance represents a journey of shedding the ego and connecting with the divine, and it requires months of dedicated practice to learn. Travelers can observe these sema ceremonies at destinations like the Mevlana Cultural Center in Konya or the Galata Mevlevihanesi Museum in Istanbul, which has ceremonies every Sunday at 6 p.m.
Caci (Flores)
This ritual whip fight is integral to the Manggarai’s cultural identity on the Indonesian island of Flores. The energetic dance is held between two male fighters who take turns attacking and defending. The attacker uses a whip, while the defender uses a round shield made of buffalo hide. Caci is accompanied by chanting and drumming and the fights are ceremonial, not intended to be violent. Guests staying at the newly opened Ta’aktana, a Luxury Collection Resort Spa in Labuan Bajo can discover Caci every Thursday at the property’s amphitheater, or they can arrange an off-site dance excursion as well.
