Game face: Satrio Mudo Group members from Sidorejo wait their turn to perform at the 2019 Jathilan Festival.

People living around Keputran, located on the slope of Mount Merapi in Central Java, enthusiastically participated in the 2019 Jathilan Festival on June 19.

Jathilan is a type of folk dance that traditionally depicts the skills of horseback warriors, accompanied by gamelan, that aims to induce spiritual possession.

Historically, the dance was performed in villages to entertain people and give them courage to fight against the Dutch colonizers.

Using bamboo-woven horse dolls, jathilan is better known as kuda lumping (heavy horse) within Javanese communities. Forty jathilan groups from Klaten, Central Java entertained festival-goers.

The dance, however, did not feature spiritual possession during the festival.

Instead, the dancers presented an elegant horse dance with dynamic and harmonious movements in beat with melodious pentatonic musical tones.

The heat of the sun failed to dampen the zeal of performers and the dust from their stomping feet did not deter spectators.

The contemporary jathilan groups, exploring innovations in decorative costumes and dance steps with their jingling ankle bells, offered their best choreographic pieces through intensive training, combined with masks to enhance their performances.

In beat: Jathilan features energetic steps enhanced by ankle bells as shown by the Turonggo Seto Group dancers.

Love your kids: Sellers offer plastic toys to visitors during the 2019 Jathilan Festival in Keputran, Central Java, on June 19.

Rider of the storm: A dancer holds a bamboo-woven horse doll, also known as kuda lumping.

Cultural mix: The Turonggo Seto Group incorporates Bali’s barong dance in its performance.

Selfie time: The barong from Bali inspires the facial makeup of the Turonggo Seto Group dancers.

— Photos by JP/ Magnus Hendratmo