How Rubber Boots Led To A Unique Dance Form
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How Rubber Boots Led To A Unique Dance Form How Rubber Boots Led To A Unique Dance Form
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How Rubber Boots Led To A Unique Dance Form
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People have been dancing since the first humans could walk upright. Dance is a great form of expression and different cultures have different dances. New dance styles develop all the time too and in South Africa, rubber boots led to the creation of a unique dance form with a fascinating story.
The story begins in the latter part of the nineteenth century, with the discovery of gold in an area that became known as the Witwatersrand. People came from all over in a feverish gold rush. A large mining camp developed into a bustling town that by the turn of the century was a city. Today Johannesburg is one of the largest cities on the African continent and much of South Africa’s economy is still built upon its mineral wealth, especially its gold.
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.
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.
Tapping out the codes was soon accompanied by intricate dance-like movements. These became more rhythmic too. The bosses on the mines came to appreciate these dances and because they thought that gumboot dancing was a good way to keep the men entertained when they were living far from their homes, they even encouraged this new form of expression.
The mine bosses didn’t realize just how subversive gumboot dancing was. The dancers would parody their superiors and the movements still conveyed secret codes that told of long hours, harsh working and living conditions, poor treatment by superiors and wages that were too low to live on. These were complaints that the miners couldn’t voice out loud if they wanted to keep their jobs.
Over the years, the dance form took on a life of its own. It’s now performed on stage and at tourist sites. It’s even incorporated into high-brow art, such as contemporary dance and choral performances. It’s become part of the South African identity too, which is quite a feat for something that had its origins with the humblest of workers.
The story begins in the latter part of the nineteenth century, with the discovery of gold in an area that became known as the Witwatersrand. People came from all over in a feverish gold rush. A large mining camp developed into a bustling town that by the turn of the century was a city. Today Johannesburg is one of the largest cities on the African continent and much of South Africa’s economy is still built upon its mineral wealth, especially its gold.
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.
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.
Tapping out the codes was soon accompanied by intricate dance-like movements. These became more rhythmic too. The bosses on the mines came to appreciate these dances and because they thought that gumboot dancing was a good way to keep the men entertained when they were living far from their homes, they even encouraged this new form of expression.
The mine bosses didn’t realize just how subversive gumboot dancing was. The dancers would parody their superiors and the movements still conveyed secret codes that told of long hours, harsh working and living conditions, poor treatment by superiors and wages that were too low to live on. These were complaints that the miners couldn’t voice out loud if they wanted to keep their jobs.
Over the years, the dance form took on a life of its own. It’s now performed on stage and at tourist sites. It’s even incorporated into high-brow art, such as contemporary dance and choral performances. It’s become part of the South African identity too, which is quite a feat for something that had its origins with the humblest of workers.
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How Rubber Boots Led To A Unique Dance Form How Rubber Boots Led To A Unique Dance Form
Article Source: http://ift.tt/1oKAO0n
How Rubber Boots Led To A Unique Dance Form
Article Source: http://ift.tt/1rETD0m
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