Gumboot Dancing Essay

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| Gumboot Dancing | Dance Studies | | Sarah Morton | 8/31/2012 | | Origin Gumboot dancing was developed from traditional African roots and was originated in the gold mines of South Africa during very strict apartheid times. African miners were discriminated against. They were often chained to their workstations and were forced to work long periods in total darkness. Many workers were killed every year in accidents or abused to death by the foremen. The miners were oppressed and forbidden to talk to each other while working. This led to other forms of interaction and entertainment and because all workers shared the language of rhythm and music, gumboot dancing was introduced as a form of communication. Theme and Purpose The main theme of gumboot dancing was working conditions and oppression. The movements along with the words in the songs spoke about working-class life, family, low wages and mean bosses. The original purpose of this dance was to communicate with other dancers by slapping their boots and feet and rattling their ankle chains. When the employers eventually became aware of this dance form, its new purpose was to entertain visitors and spread good public relations by representing their companies. Music and Movement The music that was originally used in the mines was songs sung by the workers speaking about the hard times of apartheid. The rhythm was created by the movement of the dancers. The steps of the dance were simple, but demanded focus when they were put into a sequence. Slapping of boots and feet, clapping and stomping were the primary movements that made up one sequence of dance. Majority of the time, the only form of music was the gumboot rhythm and the chanting and shouting of the workers as they communicated the movements to each other. This simple percussion of music is still used today in modern gumboot dancing.

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