The Dance Form That Came From Rubber Boots
Every culture in the world dances. Dance features in religious ceremonies, at weddings and other celebrations and even at funerals. For many it's a form of communication and at the southern tip of Africa, the arrival of rubber boots soon inspired a dance form that is uniquely South African.
Late in the Victorian Era, it was discovered that South Africa is home to untold riches. An area called the Witwatersrand turned out to have vast gold reefs and the ensuing gold rush led to the formation of Johannesburg, the country's largest city. Even today, the City of Gold is at the center of the South African economy and gold is still the country's major export.
In order to get the gold from the ground, more and more workers were needed. They came from all over the world and many Chinese South Africans are the descendants of indentured workers brought in by the mining magnates. However, right from the start, most of the men working the mines were from the black tribes living in Southern Africa. Today they come from all parts of the country but also from neighboring countries such as Mozambique, Botswana and Zimbabwe. The mines are a melting pot of cultures and languages.
In order to get to the gold, the mines became deeper. Many of today's gold mines stretch about a mile into the depths of the Earth. Working in those depths is not easy, with intense heat and high levels of humidity. Underground streams mean that you will often find yourself up to your ankles in water and it wasn't long before a standard part of a miner's kit was a pair of waterproof boots, which in South Africa are known as gumboots.
Especially in the early days of the mines, communication among the miners was difficult. Talking wasn't allowed and because of the darkness, using sing language wasn't an option. The workers soon realized that they could communicate in secret by stamping their feet, slapping on the boots and beating on their chests in something akin to Morse code.
Over time, the secret codes developed into dance movements. In Africa, people live and breathe for music and dance and the mine bosses learned to accept that the workers would dance while they were working. Later they even encouraged miners to take part in these dances, since it was a healthy way for them to entertain themselves between shifts when they were living far from their families.
When gumboot dancing became a legitimate art form on the mines, it didn't stop the secret messages. The mine bosses never knew that in the dances, they were often being made fun of. The dancers would do parodies of particular superiors and would use their dances to talk about the terrible conditions they were working in, the long hours underground, the low wages and life in the miners' hostels where they were being housed.
While gumboot dancing still exists on the mines, today it's a legitimate art form more often seen on stage. It's popular with tourists visiting South Africa. There are even professional troupes that tour the world to showcase the dance that started with a pair of boots.
Late in the Victorian Era, it was discovered that South Africa is home to untold riches. An area called the Witwatersrand turned out to have vast gold reefs and the ensuing gold rush led to the formation of Johannesburg, the country's largest city. Even today, the City of Gold is at the center of the South African economy and gold is still the country's major export.
In order to get the gold from the ground, more and more workers were needed. They came from all over the world and many Chinese South Africans are the descendants of indentured workers brought in by the mining magnates. However, right from the start, most of the men working the mines were from the black tribes living in Southern Africa. Today they come from all parts of the country but also from neighboring countries such as Mozambique, Botswana and Zimbabwe. The mines are a melting pot of cultures and languages.
In order to get to the gold, the mines became deeper. Many of today's gold mines stretch about a mile into the depths of the Earth. Working in those depths is not easy, with intense heat and high levels of humidity. Underground streams mean that you will often find yourself up to your ankles in water and it wasn't long before a standard part of a miner's kit was a pair of waterproof boots, which in South Africa are known as gumboots.
Especially in the early days of the mines, communication among the miners was difficult. Talking wasn't allowed and because of the darkness, using sing language wasn't an option. The workers soon realized that they could communicate in secret by stamping their feet, slapping on the boots and beating on their chests in something akin to Morse code.
Over time, the secret codes developed into dance movements. In Africa, people live and breathe for music and dance and the mine bosses learned to accept that the workers would dance while they were working. Later they even encouraged miners to take part in these dances, since it was a healthy way for them to entertain themselves between shifts when they were living far from their families.
When gumboot dancing became a legitimate art form on the mines, it didn't stop the secret messages. The mine bosses never knew that in the dances, they were often being made fun of. The dancers would do parodies of particular superiors and would use their dances to talk about the terrible conditions they were working in, the long hours underground, the low wages and life in the miners' hostels where they were being housed.
While gumboot dancing still exists on the mines, today it's a legitimate art form more often seen on stage. It's popular with tourists visiting South Africa. There are even professional troupes that tour the world to showcase the dance that started with a pair of boots.
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