Jathilan dance is a dance with movements imitating soldiers who are riding their horses. This dance is a type of traditional dance which is even referred to as the oldest dance that has ever existed in Java. The exact origin of this art is unknown, but this dance is closely related to the culture of the Central Java and Yogyakarta regions. Jathilan dance has many names such as Kuda Lumping, Jaran Kepang, and Kuda Kepang. The origin of the name Jathilan Dance comes from the Javanese sentence, namely “jaran pethakilan,” which means “the horse is really dancing irregularly”. Jathilan Dance has been designated as an intangible cultural heritage. This is because Jathilan Dance is a type of art that lives and develops in the community, in this case especially rural communities. The term populist art is also attached to Jathilan Dance because it has a movement that is easily recognized and popular with the public even today. With the elements of a piggyback dance, Jathilan dancers use a horse property made of woven bamboo and imitate the movements of a horse rider. From the irregular motion of the horse rider, Jathilan Dance can bring out a regular prancing motion so that it has a meaning of beauty and becomes an attraction.
In a Jathilan Dance performance there will usually be a handler on guard. This cannot be separated from the magical element inherent in this art which is widely known.
In the middle of the rampak and boisterous Jathilan Dance, usually there will be dancers who are in a trance. These dancers will move to perform dangerous attractions beyond reason, such as eating broken glass or tiles. The presence of the handler in the middle of the Jathilan Dance is said to be the controller of the spirit that possesses the dancer. The handler is also in charge of awakening the dancers after they feel they have been possessed for too long, or disturb the audience.
This article has been published on Kompas.com with the title “Jathilan Dance, Intangible Cultural Heritage as well as the Oldest Dance in Java”
If you happen to have the tour on the same day with one jathilan show around the route, then it will add a unique experience to your tour.
