This spring, acclaimed dance company Step Afrika! comes to Calgary to fill the Jack Singer Concert Hall with their percussive blend of highly dynamic dance with Drumfolk. If you’ve never heard of stepping, this is your introduction to an ancient art form that has evolved with its people into its current contemporary incarnation.
We sat down with local expert, Wunmi Idowu, founder and director of Woezo Africa Music & Dance Theatre Inc., which has been sharing African culture globally through programs and events since 2006 to learn what stepping is all about.
Why do you think it's important to share the stories of these dance forms?
Specifically, because of the identity of the dance form. By sharing its importance, it allows the audience to value the creators of the dance. Stepping, specifically came from the South African Gumboot dancing, which is known by its traditional name, isicathulo (phonetically pronounced ee- see-ca-too-lo) which means “shoes.” This is credited to the amaBhaca people of southern KwaZulu-Natal. Gumboot (wellington boots) dance was created as a code that mine workers used due to their living conditions and the ban on communicating imposed by mine bosses. Mine workers created another way to communicate by tapping on their boots and slapping on their chests. They used these codes to greet each other, complained about poor working and living conditions, the fact that they were digging for gold for low wages and criticized the behavior of the mine bosses. The Gumboot dance represented hope of a better outcome and revealed the oppressive and awful treatment of those who were enslaved in the gold mines of Johannesburg.
For you, what is the most important part of that story?
Gumboot dance celebrates the body as an instrument, and the richness and complexities of South African culture. It is crucial to respect the origins of how step dance began and to examine how it has been transformed from Gumboot dance to what it is now. Step dance goes back to the early 20th century, when Black veterans of World War I enrolled in colleges, historically Black fraternities and sororities began embracing step dance at college campuses to show spirit and pride with the inclusion of contemporary movement, music, and songs. The roots of this dance form matter because of its incredible contributions to the dance ecosystem.
As the local expert on African dance, what excites you most about Step Afrika! coming here to Calgary?
I had the opportunity to travel to Toronto as one of the presenters at the 33rd Annual International Conference and Festival of Blacks in January of this year. It was an eye-opening experience to listen, watch and learn from Black dancers and Dance Educators from all over the world. What excites me the most is the opportunity to watch Step Afrika! perform on stage of the Jack Singer Concert Hall in Calgary as part of their tour. It is a rarity in this city. To observe the use of the entire body as an instrument that creates complex rhythms and sounds using footsteps, spoken word, and hand claps with various props and costumes is so exciting. Woezo Africa Company Dancers are very eager to learn from Step Afrika! as part of our training and development program. We will have the opportunity to ask questions regarding the creation of specific rhythms and learn about the names of the movements. As dance artists this representation is so important to us due to the inequity of access to different dance forms.
What do you hope Calgarians take away from this performance?
I hope that the audience will begin to understand the richness of African culture and the reality that dance forms such as step dance was created by enslaved Africans who were kidnapped and trafficked and brought to the United States through the Mid-Atlantic Slave Trade. Which focused mainly on trading resources such as Ivory and gold. Gumboots dance was a cultural expression of solidarity between the mine workers. This information will help promote a better understanding and appreciation of African culture and its contributions to today's society.
If you’d like to get your tickets to Step Afrika!: Drumfolk on April 26 in the Jack Singer Concert Hall, or to learn more about the dance forms they share, visit artscommons.ca/drumfolk.
You can also learn more about Wunmi Idowu and the work she does with Woezo Africa at woezoafrica.com.