Niang Soli (Gusti Ayu Soli) is a legendary Balinese dancer from Bali who at over 106 years old still performs the classical Legong dance. She is celebrated as a living icon of Balinese culture, having danced since childhood and even performed before President Soekarno in the 1940s.
It is a refined dance form characterized by intricate finger movements, complicated footwork, and expressive gestures and facial expressions. Legong probably originated in the 19th century as royal entertainment. Legend has it that a prince of Sukawati fell ill. He had a vivid dream in which two maidens danced to gamelan music. When he recovered, he arranged for such dances to be performed in reality. Others believe that the Legong began with the sanghyang dedari. This ceremony involves the voluntary possession of two little girls by beneficent spirits. Legong is also danced at public festivals. Excerpts from Legong dance dramas are put on for tourists.
