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.
In the late nineteenth century, gold was discovered in the area around what is today Johannesburg, one of Africa's largest cities. In fact, Johannesburg started out as a camp for miners seeking their fortune on the gold reefs and boomed within only a few years. It's called the City of Gold and the area's mine are still among the world's most productive.
As mining operations grew, those in charge realized that they needed more laborers. They imported indentured laborers from China but an even cheaper source to exploit was right there in the country. Young black men came to Johannesburg from their tribal villages to make money which could support their families and pay for the hut taxes that the government implemented. Even today, most miners in South Africa are black men that come from the country and its neighbors.
Over the years, mines were dug deeper and deeper and today many of the deepest mines in the world are located on the reef known as the Witwatersrand. Working so deep underneath the Earth's surface means that conditions are harsh. It's hot and humid and miners were soon given boots that they dubbed gumboots to keep their feet dry and prevent skin conditions.
In the early days, workers weren't allowed to talk during their shifts. Using signs was often futile too, since it's dark underground. However, the workers soon found another way to communicate. They developed a system of coded messages by slapping on their gumboots and on their chests.
Africans are born with dancing in their blood and it wasn't long before the miners turned their secret codes into dance moves. They would often sing while they were working, so their superiors accepted the movements as part of the act. Over time, the mine bosses realized that the dancing was a way for the men to alleviate the boredom of life in a miners' hostel and they encouraged the development of gumboot dancing.
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.
Today, gumboot dancing has moved from the mines to the stage. Dancing troupes often take their performances on tour in Europe and other corners of the world. You'll also find performers dancing at tourist sites such as Gold Reef City, the popular Johannesburg attraction that tells the story of gold mining in the city. It's even been incorporated into a song on Paul Simon's 'Graceland' album, which brought South African music to the world.
In the late nineteenth century, gold was discovered in the area around what is today Johannesburg, one of Africa's largest cities. In fact, Johannesburg started out as a camp for miners seeking their fortune on the gold reefs and boomed within only a few years. It's called the City of Gold and the area's mine are still among the world's most productive.
As mining operations grew, those in charge realized that they needed more laborers. They imported indentured laborers from China but an even cheaper source to exploit was right there in the country. Young black men came to Johannesburg from their tribal villages to make money which could support their families and pay for the hut taxes that the government implemented. Even today, most miners in South Africa are black men that come from the country and its neighbors.
Over the years, mines were dug deeper and deeper and today many of the deepest mines in the world are located on the reef known as the Witwatersrand. Working so deep underneath the Earth's surface means that conditions are harsh. It's hot and humid and miners were soon given boots that they dubbed gumboots to keep their feet dry and prevent skin conditions.
In the early days, workers weren't allowed to talk during their shifts. Using signs was often futile too, since it's dark underground. However, the workers soon found another way to communicate. They developed a system of coded messages by slapping on their gumboots and on their chests.
Africans are born with dancing in their blood and it wasn't long before the miners turned their secret codes into dance moves. They would often sing while they were working, so their superiors accepted the movements as part of the act. Over time, the mine bosses realized that the dancing was a way for the men to alleviate the boredom of life in a miners' hostel and they encouraged the development of gumboot dancing.
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.
Today, gumboot dancing has moved from the mines to the stage. Dancing troupes often take their performances on tour in Europe and other corners of the world. You'll also find performers dancing at tourist sites such as Gold Reef City, the popular Johannesburg attraction that tells the story of gold mining in the city. It's even been incorporated into a song on Paul Simon's 'Graceland' album, which brought South African music to the world.
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