Hundreds of villagers pretended to be corpses during a bizarre dance ritual in Bali.

Footage shows a total of 108 fake dead lying on the ground in Tabanan Regency. The participants stayed still on the tiled floor, careful not to move.

For a more realistic set-up, the bodies were wrapped in white blanket with incantations written on it using a black marker.

The performance on October 30 was part of the religious play ‘Calonarang', which worshipped the Hindu God Dewi Durga.

One of its directors and organisers Nengah Atmaja said: ‘It wasn't just a show but we encourage those who study black magic to come. The Calonarang performances teach various philosophies.'

Villagers believed that the dance performance could help them alleviate bad luck.