Gathotkaca Gandrung is a popular dance in the Surakarta (the court city in Central Java also known as Solo) style. This dance depicts Gathotkaca, a beloved hero from the Hindu-Javanese Mahabharata epics, dressing himself and dreaming of the object of his affections, Pregiwa, the daughter of Arjuna. Gathotkaca possesses magical powers which enable him to fly, and is a fierce warrior, but never uses a weapon in battle. The dance is in the gagah style, a forceful and powerful male style, used for roles of strongly built kasatriyas, soldiers and generals.
