Balinese dances now have world-wide popularity and exposure. Whereas once, many hundreds of years ago, these dances were closely tied to religious events and heavily loaded with sacred values, they have on the whole become tourist commodities appreciated more for their general entertainment value than for their religious value.

Historically, Balinese dances were present in some form before the Pre-Hindu period. These dances were, usually, offered as part of animistic ceremonies. At that time the dances were very ritualistic, and they were used to help with important events, such as for warding off misfortune, to bring on rain, and to heal the sick. These dances were accompanied with various kinds of sacred musical instruments.

The Sang Hyang Dance is a Balinese dance that has remained faithful to its original sacred values and religious function. Having maintained strong ties with its Pre-Hindu animistic conception, this dance can still be found in many villages in mountainous places.

The dancers of Sang Hyang are usually chosen from a group of girls between the ages of nine and twelve years. Four or five of them are assigned as the Sang Hyang dancers over a certain period and, usually, they come from the family of a pemangku, or Hindu priest.

The Sang Hyang dance is usually performed at night, and the ceremony takes place in the Jeroan pura - the most sacred place in the temple. The whole community witnesses this performance and is involved in it.

The first episode of the performance is known as the penudusan. During the period of penudusan, the ancestors are invited to come down to the earth, while the dancers of Sang Hyang inhale the perfumed scent from the incense. The performers will bow down in front of a pemangku, who gives the offering to the visiting ancestors. If the ancestors are pleased to come and visit, the Sang Hyang dancers will close their eyes and move to the back, and assisted by the older dancers, they can continue to follow the ceremony together. After that they will fall to the earth in a trance for as long as half an hour or more.

The chief of the ceremony may then ask the ancestors to speak. The ancestors will often begin to talk to their followers in a strange voice, giving advice on how the community can deal with their problems. A remedy for treating epidemics is often given, which consists of leaves, roots, grass, rice, and some other kinds of plants.

The Sang Hyang dancers in this ceremonial procession then distribute special bracelets to the people present that must be worn during the infectious period of the epidemic. This bracelet is made from thread and uang kepeng (an old coin). Holy water is also prepared by the chief of the ceremony and sprinkled on the whole group.