Put on Your Dancing Gumboots

The arts scene at Harvard has seen a proliferation in the number of dance groups on campus. One such group are the Gumboots dancers. Affiliated with the Harvard African Students Association (HASA), the Gumboots dancers celebrate a dance that orginated in South Africa. In their free time, miners "discovered" the musical potential of their workboots and slapped and clapped in rhythm. This pastime then evolved into a more intricate step-dance. One dancer, Karin Alexander '02, says that "the story of the gumboot fits into the wonderful, though pain-ridden, history of our continent. The dance expresses all of that and is like a fabulous interactive way to share part of the African spirit." Indeed, the gumboot dancers, who meet for two-hour rehearsals every Monday night, reach out to the Harvard community as a whole. Both the troupe of dancers and their audiences include individuals who are not of African descent. Alexander, who is from Zimbabwe, had led the gumboot troupe at her international school before she arrived at Harvard. "After a year without gumboots, I was ready to reimmerse myself in the wonders of the rhythm," she said.

Mwashuma Nyatta '02, a veteran member of the dance group, says the group makes an effort to reach out to students that might not be well-rehearsed in gumboot dancing. "We try to incorporate anyone that has an interest in the dance, whether in HASA or not. So it's basically a voluntary amalgam of students that have chosen a creative way to let loose their Monday night stresses!"

The dance troupe isn't very large. Indeed, Nyatta refers to the gumboot dancers as "a nice, intimate cluster of people." Alexander agrees that the major attendant benefit of the group comes from its inner dynamics. "The dance is all about relationships and camaraderie and a celebration of life. Being part of the group means all of that."

At the same time though, being a small group has its negatives. Alexander says, "I think sometimes we're less high profile than we should be, but I know that people who see us love the concept and so it's nice to feel we have some effect." Certainly, the gumboot dancers have done well to carve out a niche for themselves. Nyatta says the group both "entertains the audiences that witness the performances" and also "provides an aspect of African culture and heritage that is inextricably tied up with the African artistic expression." And for anyone who is interested, tomorrow HASA will be presenting "Ngoma! A Celebration of Africa" in the Lowell Lecture Hall at 8 p.m.