Ascent

AscentTHE STORY Three young Rejang dancers, led by six year old Nara and her two companions, ascend the stone steps of Dalem Puri Temple in Ubud. Dressed in unison, their golden hued costumes catch the light, making them impossible to overlook. Lined up in perfect formation, they move with quiet grace, preparing for the sacred ritual ahead. Ascent captures this moment just before they take the stage, a fleeting glimpse of devotion in motion. Clad in the

ᝰ THE STORY

Three young Rejang dancers, led by six-year-old Nara and her two companions, ascend the stone steps of Dalem Puri Temple in Ubud. Dressed in unison, their golden-hued costumes catch the light, making them impossible to overlook. Lined up in perfect formation, they move with quiet grace, preparing for the sacred ritual ahead. Ascent captures this moment just before they take the stage, a fleeting glimpse of devotion in motion.

Clad in the resplendent kain prada, their attire is dominated by shades of yellow—a color deeply embedded in Balinese culture. Seen in temple decorations, ceremonial offerings, and traditional garments, yellow is revered as a symbol of divinity, prosperity, and the life-giving force of the sun. Atop their heads, intricate crowns of golden flowers and leaf ornaments shimmer, embodying an ancestral myth: the blossoms are said to represent the blood of Durga, the formidable goddess of protection, strength, and war.

The Rejang dance is more than an art form; it is a sacred offering, performed to welcome the gods as they descend from the heavens. In this Rejang Dewa variation, young dancers express gratitude and reverence, moving in a slow, hypnotic rhythm that embodies both innocence and spirituality. Rooted in religious, aesthetic, and educational values, the dance has been preserved for generations, passed down within communities rather than taught by professionals.

Across Bali, different forms of Rejang continue to thrive, each one carrying the island’s cultural legacy forward. Ascent depicts more than just a performance. It captures the a still living tradition, an unbroken connection between the divine and the earthly, between past and present.

📍Ubud, Bali  🗓 2022