MAY
2001
2001
|
|
MAY
2001 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
           |
|
'Gumboots': A Workers’ Musical Story by Khaalid Walls
Oppression can breed some of the most creative and exciting forms of expression. Nothing proves that more than the dance-musical “Gumboots” performed in Toronto and Detroit by the Rishile Gumboot Dancers of Soweto and Zenzi Mbuli. From the grimy, dark gold mines of South Africa, came a way of communicating that would change theater as we know it. At the height of the ultra-oppressive apartheid era, African miners were forbidden to speak to each other. During their toil, these workers were often chained to their work stations and forced to work from sunup to sundown thousands of feet below the surface in darkness. The floors of the mines were seldom drained. Instead, workers were provided cheap rubber boots (gumboots) to protect them from the harsh runoff. Desperately wanting to communicate, they created a type of Morse code by slapping their rubber boots which echoed loudly in the mines. As their communication developed, they used it to entertain each other during their free time. Gumboot dancing has since grown into a working-class, South African form with universal appeal. The Rishile theatrical group, which has just returned to South Africa after a tour of the U.S. and Canada, added original music and South African aesthetics to the tradition. This fast-paced theatrical performance blends rhythmic African music and intricately choreographed dance to create a workers’ musical. The non-stop, action-packed performance is a captivating dance/musical topping similar shows like “Stomp” and “Bring in Da Noise.” This 90-minute performance engages the audience with a powerful display of song and dance.
|
|
|
 |
|
Home | News | Search | E-mail | Solidarity |
|
 |
