Gumboot gold
By Daily Bruin Staff
Nov. 19, 2000 9:00 p.m.
 The Marketing Group Vincent Ncabashe,
lead dancer and songwriter, performs the guitar in Gumboots. He
takes music and incorporates it into their performance to transform
the once-silent dance form.
By Barbara McGuire
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Though the oppressive nature of apartheid laws restricted the
mobility and freedom of South African miners, their unwavering
spirits created a unique and moving art form, known today as
gumboots dance.
Originating in the 1870s, gumboots dance is similar to the style
of the production “Stomp,” with step moves in which
performers use their hands and feet to make music. Currently, this
dance is incorporated into an obviously named production,
“Gumboots,” which opens tomorrow at the Wilshire
Theater.
“It’s a traditional dance from South Africa created
by the miners because they were not allowed to speak while they
were digging gold,” explained Zenzi Mbuli, director of the
production, in a recent phone interview.
“So, the only way for them to know that they were safe and
alive was they would start tapping their boots, and then, out of
that, we end up having the gumboots dance,” he continued.
“It’s a dance in which they tap and they step very
hard. In American, it’s more like step, but step came after
gumboots.”
 The Marketing Group “Gumboots,” a play that
incorporates dance of that name, will open tomorrow at the Wilshire
Theater and run through Dec. 17. Although the group has toured the
world, stopping in such locations as London, England and Denver,
Colo., the “Gumboots” production originated in South
Africa. Mbuli and his friends, who are now part of the cast, would
do local performances and tours.
“Before (we formed the group), we used to just go to
festivals, and we were only six guys with a guitar, and me, the
stage manager/director,” he said. “We were touring
Australia in 1996 when we met one of the producers, Wayne Harrison.
He approached us and said he’d love to help us do a
show.”
“Gumboots” has certainly come a long way, both in
miles and in technique. Mbuli said that though their moves remain
true to the tradition, making the dance important and worthwhile,
they have modernized it slightly, borrowing moves from other dance
forms, such as Zulu dance.
Vincent Ncabashe, lead dancer of the production, as well as
writer of most of the songs and music, has been dancing gumboots
for 20 years, since age 12. Ncabashe has also taken part in
transforming gumboots into something more modern.
“The dance was just like stepping and clapping, there was
no music, so I decided to do some music,” he said. “At
first the guys, they said no, they didn’t want any music, but
now they like it.”
 Illustration by JARRETT QUON/Daily Bruin
The “Gumboots” storyline, however, holds true to the
original history of the dance. According to Mbuli, the actual
history of gumboots, including the origin of the name ““
referring to how the miners had to wear Wellington boots to prevent
infection from the flooded mines ““ will be performed for the
audience. Ncabashe narrates the story in English, while the songs
are sung in the various native languages of South Africa.
“It’s a history because we are talking about the
history of the gumboots, how (South Africans) have been treated in
the mines, but out of that treatment, they created a very wonderful
dance,” Mbuli said.
“We’re trying to teach that you shouldn’t rush
everything in life,” he continued.
Though dealing with a sensitive subject, “Gumboots”
has its fair share of comical moments. According to both Mbuli and
Ncabashe, the performance of the song, “I’m Too
Sexy,” is one of them.
“It makes me laugh,” said Mbuli. “They are
just showing each other how they’re sexy, they’re
boasting to each other, “˜Can you see me, how I am
sexy,’ so I like it because it’s more
humorous.”
The set promises to be as interesting as the performance, which
will actually be built during the performance.
“(The set) is quite big,” said Peter Grant Williams,
technical stage manager. “It’s all metal and it all
sort of builds together, so we start the show with a very empty
looking space and by the end, we’ve built a mine.”
With live music from three musicians on the keyboard, percussion
and drums, “Gumboots” promises to be full of energy and
enthusiasm, coming both from the cast, as well as the audience.
Many students may have seen the dancers in Westwood Plaza last
week, as Gumboots presented a free preview of their show. The
energy of the crowd proved just as hyped up as the dancers.
“I’m very excited,” said Ncabashe of the
upcoming performance. “I wish the people here could know what
we do in South Africa. They should know about this kind of dance
because I can imagine that most of (them) don’t
know.”
Mbuli echoed Ncabashe’s reasons for creating
“Gumboots,” and agreed why people may want to come and
see it.
“We’re just showing how, out of all those bad things
that were happening in South Africa, we can also achieve and show
the world that we can achieve in other things too,” he
said.
THEATER: “Gumboots” opens Wednesday and runs through
Dec. 17. Performances are Tuesday ““ Saturday at 8 p.m.,
Sunday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Ticket prices
range from $27 to $52 and can be purchased by calling (213)
365-3500 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
