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Gumboot gambolling
Gumboot Dancing
Umoja dancers in full flight
Did you know?
The violently oppressed and historic mine worker’s strike of 1946 that led to the formation of the African Mine Workers’ Union, a precursor to South Africa’s powerful labour movement, was first mooted through the secret, codified tapping of miners wearing gumboots.
In South Africa, gumboot dancing has a seductive magnetism synonymous with the country’s mining culture, but few people know of the hidden meaning and history of this infectious dance tradition. Started in the gold mines in the last decades of the 19th century, gumboot dancing in South Africa stems from a code that mine workers devised because of the repressive ban on talking enforced by mine bosses. Kitted out with Wellington boots to fight skin diseases from fetid water flooding the mine tunnels, the 'muzzled' miners found that they could communicate with one another through coded slaps on their boots and bare chests.
Also prevented by bosses from wearing their traditional dress in the mining compounds, to further estrange the miners from their rural roots, the migrant workers from diverse, ethnic backgrounds found common ground in an extended gumboot patois. Enter gumboot dancing. Initially, mine bosses banned it outright, but eventually its qualities as an uplifting social activity, unlike drinking alcohol and its destructive effects, were acknowledged and even encouraged.
Some mine bosses even allowed the formation of gumboot dance troupes and organised gumboot dancing competitions that they often attended. Standing by, applauding the by-product artistry of their workers, for decades mine managers remained oblivious that the dancing they so appreciated was often coded criticism of poor conditions, bad pay, and the bigotry of white bosses.
Today, South African gumboot dancing is one of the most singular unique dance expressions from these shores. Musical theatre impresario Richard Loring has done phenomenal work with his show African Footprint, in which gumboot dancing plays a leading part. Regularly performed at The Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City, African Footprint comes highly recommended. Another show starring gumboot dancers is Umoja, a permanently staged extravaganza of South African cultural song and dance at the Victory Theatre in Orange Grove, Johannesburg.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Computicket
Tel: +27 (0) 11 340 8000
www.goldreefcity.co.za
How to get here
For impromptu gumboot dancing displays, head over to Joburg's heyday amusement park, themed on the halcyon gold-era of Jo'burg's past. Gold Reef City is located just south, on the fringe of the CBD, and is therefore easily accessible by car.
Around the area
Head over to the iconic Apartheid Museum, it's a stone's throw away.
Get around
Take a taxi cab, ask your B&B or hotel concierge to call for one.
What will it cost
About R200 for an all-access ticket to Gold Reef city, food and drinks excluded. A ticket to Umoja at Joburg's Victory Theatre will cost about R150. Check your newspaper for show listings.
Length of stay
A whole day will allow you to explore all of Gold Reef City's nooks and crannies, and lots of rousing gumboot dancing displays. Include a few hours for the theatre, probably in the evening time.
What to pack
Sunscreen, and comfortable trainers for Gold Reef City. A jumper for wintry days.
Where to stay
Choose from the myriad B&Bs, hotels and guesthouses in Jo'burg. There's one to suit all pockets. Or, for nostalgia buffs, stay on premises in Gold Reef City's period Protea hotel. You'll feel yourself transported back to swashbuckling digging days!
What to eat
God Reef City has several dining options, from fast food outlets, to sit down affairs, and even boerewors rolls on-the-go, there's something for all palates, and wallets. The Victory Theatre has an on-site restaurant which serves excellent pizzas.
What's happening
When you've had your fill of gumboot dancing, exhilirate yourself on the rides in Gold Reef City's amusement park, or try your hand at the world-class casino.
Best buys
While youre checking out the gumboot dancers, be sure to take a gold mining tour into the bowels of the earth, its a fascinating glipmse into a miner's working conditions.