THE GUMBOOT DANCE

The gumboot dance is an African dance that is performed by dancers wearing wellington boots. This is called the Gumboots dance, the dance began in the gold mine South Africa.

The mine workers were not free to move around at will and were separated from their families for long periods of time. At best, working in the mines was a long, hard, repetitive toil,\. At worst, the men would be taken chained into the mines and shackled at their work stations in almost total darkness.

The workers were forbidden to speak, and as a result create a means of communication, essentially their own unique form of Morse code

Gumboot dancing has developed into a working class. South African art form with a Universal appeal. The dancers expand upon traditional steps. With the addition of contemporary movement. Music and song. Extremely physical, the dancing serves as a cathartic release, celebrating the body as an instrument, and the richness and complexities of South African culture.