Sanggar Bona Alit (Bona Alit Art Space)

Sanggar Bona Alit (Bona Alit Art Space) is a center of education and expansion for Balinese art.

Located amongst the beautiful rice fields of Bona Village in Bali, Sanggar Bona Alit was established by Agung Alit in 1996. Agung Alit's vision of a dynamic education and art centre has now become a reality.

Beginning as a meeting space for Balinese artists, Sanggar Bona Alit attracted especially those artists interested in exploring art from outside Bali, but always with a strong sense of needing to maintain their traditional Balinese roots. Agung Alit's active interest in art, music and musical instruments from outside Bali meant that the Sanggar was constantly evolving and widening in an artistic sense, especially as he began recording music and becoming successful internationally.

Whilst always forging ahead on its journey into the world of international influence, Bona Alit continues to perform classical Balinese dance configurations including Barong, Calon Arang, Keris & Legong as well as Kecak (Monkey Dance) and Fire Dance - both of which were developed by Agung Alit's father, I Gusti Rai. These configurations are art-forms that can only be created from wealth of experience and the bloodline of the music and dance artists that uphold commitment to the preservation and purity of their raditions. They are the ones behind the beauty that is Bona Alit. Such dance performances are usually accompanied by traditional Balinese/Indonesian musical instruments such as Gong Kebyar, Gamelan, Rindik and Jegog, most of which are hand-made by Bona Alit artists themselves.

Today, Sanggar
Bona Alit includes a large rehearsal pavillion, beautiful gardens as well as an outdoor performance area, where Kecak and Fire Dance are performed on special occasions. The Sanggar has further developed into an educational center catering to both local Balinese as well as international students. During the year, the Sanggar and nearby Bona Village acccommodation complex houses and educates hundreds of students from around the world.

The Sanggar, true to its literal translation (Sanggar is Indonesian for "Practice/Performance Space/Studio") incorporates a professional recording studio, complete with sound-proofed recording booth and separate control room.

Agung Alit, in conjunction with his production and engineer assistants and select fellow musicians, recorded the entire Kishi Kishi album series here.

Sanggar Bona Alit also serves as a residence for Agung Alit & Agung Rai as well as several members of the Bona Alit Art Community.

About

- Bona Alit

- Sanggar Bona Alit (Bona Alit Art Space)

- Agung Alit

- I Gusti Rai

- Agung Rai

- Articles in the Media