Roberto Jimenez Mora twists in the air during the Danza de los Voladores, or the Dance of the Flyers, in Mexico. The high-flying tradition goes back centuries.
KIKE ARNAL
A view of the voladores from a cathedral bell tower in Cuetzalan, Mexico.
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Voladores from Xochiapulco, Mexico, are upset after discovering that the pole they spent a day carrying down a mountain is cracked and cannot be used for their traditional dance.
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A man measures a tree before cutting it down to be used for the dance.
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Today, the Nahua people perform the ceremony on holidays to commemorate a particular town's patron saint. Here, voladores take part in the St. Francis celebration in Cuetzalan.
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Before cutting it down, a volador climbs a tree to attach a rope that will be used to direct its fall.
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Dozens of volunteers from Cuetzalan help to raise a pole for the ceremony.
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"The motivation is more about faith, dedication, connection with their religious beliefs," photographer Kike Arnal said.
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Young voladores descend from a pole while their teacher plays the flute and drum.
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The Sierra Norte region in Mexico is inhabited by the Nahua and the Totonac people who traditionally perform the voladores dance.
