Balinese Bumble Bee dancer kneels with her arms up and palms towards audience

A young Balinese woman dances the "Bumble Bee" dance in a yellow, blue, and silver costume. Here she kneels with her arms held up to shoulder height and her palms facing the audience. She moves her outstretched fingers and arms gracefully at shoulder height, with her eyes diverted sharply to the side. She wears a tall golden crown and jeweled collar piece.

The Bumble Bee dance is a modern addition to the Balinese dance repertoire. It was created in 1952 by a choreographer called Mario, and became a favorite of tourist audiences. Now it is performed as a love duet with a male bee courting a female bee. As the name suggests, the movements and music are very fast-paced.