Gumboot Dance - South Africa 2

Have you ever heard of the Gumboots Musical? Probably not, because most people haven’t. But it is without doubt the most powerful and meaningful display of South African musical power, tradition, emotion and rhythmical talent I have seen for a long time. It shows the power of african dance, the power of transforming a story, in this case the story of suffering migrant workers in the gold mines of South Africa during apartheid, into a dance routine while supplementing it with emotional vocal performances. Today it is often linked with tap dance and stepping from the US.

The dance also offers a great way of intercultural exchange and has enjoyed great success in teaching all around the globe. For most cultures the gumboot dance appears unusual but very interesting. Especially groups of children and young adults enjoy the dance classes and many South African groups and individual performers have already taught them this traditional South African dance. 

Watch this video below to see a South African group perform the Gumboot Dance in front of 400 primary and high school students in Germany. Enjoy!