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.
Late in the Victorian Era, it was discovered that South Africa is home to untold riches. An area called the Witwatersrand turned out to have vast gold reefs and the ensuing gold rush led to the formation of Johannesburg, the country's largest city. Even today, the City of Gold is at the center of the South African economy and gold is still the country's major export.
When mining operations started, they grew so fast that more young men were needed to do the hard work. The mining companies brought in indentured labor from countries such as China but they soon realized that they could get labor at even lower prices right there at home. Hut taxes were introduced to tribal villages and to pay for these, the young men from the villages had to go work in the mines. The gold mines still employ vast numbers of men from South Africa as well as from neighboring countries such as Lesotho, Botswana and Mozambique.
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.
In the beginning, talking during your shift was prohibited. The miners couldn't communicate through the use of sign language either because there wasn't much light deep down in the shafts. However, they soon devised a series of secret codes by slapping on their chests and on the boots and by stomping their feet.
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.
What the mine bosses never knew was that the secret codes were still there in the dance moves. The miners couldn't be too outspoken about their working conditions because they would lose their jobs. However, they expressed their frustration in their dances, conveying hidden messages about the abuse, the dangers, the very low wages and the long working hours. They would even make fun of their superiors through their dancing.
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.
Late in the Victorian Era, it was discovered that South Africa is home to untold riches. An area called the Witwatersrand turned out to have vast gold reefs and the ensuing gold rush led to the formation of Johannesburg, the country's largest city. Even today, the City of Gold is at the center of the South African economy and gold is still the country's major export.
When mining operations started, they grew so fast that more young men were needed to do the hard work. The mining companies brought in indentured labor from countries such as China but they soon realized that they could get labor at even lower prices right there at home. Hut taxes were introduced to tribal villages and to pay for these, the young men from the villages had to go work in the mines. The gold mines still employ vast numbers of men from South Africa as well as from neighboring countries such as Lesotho, Botswana and Mozambique.
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.
In the beginning, talking during your shift was prohibited. The miners couldn't communicate through the use of sign language either because there wasn't much light deep down in the shafts. However, they soon devised a series of secret codes by slapping on their chests and on the boots and by stomping their feet.
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.
What the mine bosses never knew was that the secret codes were still there in the dance moves. The miners couldn't be too outspoken about their working conditions because they would lose their jobs. However, they expressed their frustration in their dances, conveying hidden messages about the abuse, the dangers, the very low wages and the long working hours. They would even make fun of their superiors through their dancing.
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.