Come dance with us — join our Balinese Community Dance Group!
Finished our free beginner dance class, or have dance experience you're ready to bring to something new? Consider going deeper by joining our Balinese dance community group! This is where the journey continues, with long-term students building technique, absorbing the rich artistic and cultural traditions behind the movement, forging great friendships, and eventually preparing to perform alongside our gamelan ensembles across Buffalo. It is one of the most fun, rewarding, and meaningful ways to stay involved with Balinese arts and Nusantara Arts over the long term. There is a place in the community dance group for people of all skill levels.
What You'll Do
Develop your Balinese dance technique through weekly classes that build on foundational movements, explore traditional choreography, and deepen your connection to the cultural and spiritual traditions that give the dance its meaning. You'll learn not just as an individual, but as part of a group — Balinese dance is deeply connected to the gamelan music that accompanies it, and dancing alongside live musicians is an experience unlike anything else.
Perform (if you want to). The community dance group is the pathway to performing with Nusantara Arts. We perform many events across Buffalo and Western New York each year — at festivals, cultural venues, and alongside incredible guest artists from Indonesia. Performers are sometimes compensated for gigs, which can help offset class fees. Performing is optional, but dancing in full costume with live gamelan is one of the most rewarding parts of being in the group.
You do not need to feel fully "ready" before joining — many students take our six-week course and choose to join the community group right after! Many people begin where you might be now: with curiosity, a little bit of experience, and a desire to keep learning.
We would love to have you on this journey with us!
FAQ's
Is there a fee? While the intro classes have been made completely free by the generous donations of our supporters for 2026, the community dance class operations do necessitate the support of participants with a class fee donation for it to all work. We use a sliding scale so that cost is never a barrier to participation. Choose the level that fits your situation — no questions asked. We want people to be here who want to be and if you can contribute that's great, if not that's ok too. Many participants choose the quarterly recurring or monthly recurring options for ease, and you can change your amount at any time.
Do I have to perform? No, performing is optional. Not all people who participate in community dance perform — it's your choice! The community dance group is the gateway to performing with our performance troupe. Nusantara Arts performs many small and medium sized performances a year in Western New York, and even further! It's really fun being involved with the ensemble, and practicing for performances at interesting venues and often with incredible guest artists. There is occasionally payment for performing.
Can I join if I don't have any dance experience? We recommend that those with no experience first take our free six-week introductory course. They're completely beginner friendly and allow you to dip your toes into Balinese dance before jumping in!
When does class meet?
Rehearsals
Every Thursday from 5:30-6:30
Teacher: Riesa Avanti
Riesa Avanti is a Nusantara Arts Board member and Indonesian woman from Jakarta who has been living in Buffalo for over 20 years. She grew up dancing and began studying Balinese Dance years ago. She is now giving back to the community and spreading her knowledge here in Buffalo.