A man in a face mask and wearing white Wellington boots stands in the center of a paved outdoor stage. A striped red and white handkerchief hangs from his left-side hip. He stomps and claps rhythmically. He alternates between clapping his hands together and slapping the sides of his boots. On screen text. The African American Dance Company. Directed by Stafford C. Berry Jr.
>> IsicaXulo.
This is our Bicentennial moment.
This is our opportunity to connect with our traditional African past via South Africa and IsicaXulo from the Zulus in South Africa.
And so we employ its power today for our African American and global sensibilities for resilience and democracy.
Now, dancers stand in two lines - a front row and a back row - across the stage. They wear Wellington boots on their feet. Handkerchiefs hang at their hips. They stomp, clap, and slap at their boots, turning to face a different direction after each rhythmic measure until they face forward again.
>> Ge. Go.
[ Group Dancing ]
They stand tall, legs apart.
Ge. Go.
[ Group Dancing ] Gee. Go.
>> Hey, y'all.
[ Group Dancing, Chanting ]
They step side to side and slap their boots. They turn so their backs face the front. Next, they swivel around to face forward and become still.
>> Where you at?
Where you at?
[ Group Dancing, Chanting ]
They hop, kicking one foot out and slapping the ankle of their boots. Then, they march in place.
Where you at?
Where you at, where you at?
[ Group Dancing, Chanting ]
They skip side to side, slapping their boots before moving in the opposite direction.
>> Where you at, where you at?
All right.
Hear me.
[ Group Dancing, Chanting ] >> Yes, sir.
The dancers turn and march in different directions as more dancers march onto the stage. They arrange themselves into three rows.
>> See you.
[ Group Dancing, Chanting ]
As the dancers stomp, they move forward on the stage before jumping back and stomping forward again. They turn to the right, taking leaping strides before slapping at their boots. They turn to face the left and repeat the move.
>> Come on, y'all.
[ Group Dancing ]
The dancers on the left of the stage turn to face the dancers on the right. The two sides turn in different directions after each rhythmic measure until they all face forward again.
>> Come on.
>> Hey.
>> Come on.
[ Group Dancing, Chanting ] Come on. Come on.
[ Group Dancing ] Come on. Come on.
[ Group Dancing, Chanting ]
The dancers stand with one foot forward and one foot back. They slap their boots - front, back, front - before giving a small hop. The dancers gradually spread out to form a semi-circle.
>> Let's hear it.
[ Group Dancing, Chanting ]
They sit back into high squats, hands on their knees. Later, the dancers are arranged in three rows across the stage. The front row begins to dance before the second row joins, and then the third. The dancers turn as they stomp and clap before skipping side to side.
They stand at attention, legs apart. They alternate hopping from foot to foot, one forward, one back. They hold bent arms out to their sides like goal posts, pumping their arms with each backward hop. Then, they alternate kicking each leg out across their bodies, their legs swinging back to the ground in an arch.
Let's hear it.
Legs wide, they jump from foot to foot. They give another sweeping kick, landing in a wide squat, arms hanging down between their legs. They rise up slowly before squatting back down.
Let's hear it.
Let's hear it.
[ Group Dancing, Chanting ]
On screen text. Our Bicentennial Moment/South African Gumboot Dance. Choreography, Stafford C Berry Junior. Dancers, African American Dance Company.
Costume Design, Stafford C Berry Junior. Videography, Peter Balsom, Mia Beach. Edited by Deonna Weatherly.
African American Arts Institute Staff. Charles E Sykes, Executive Director. Stafford C Berry Junior, African American Dance Company Director. Tyler Myles, African American Dance Company Associate Instructor. Samantha Hyde, African American Dance Company Road Manager. Hannah Crane, Events and Communications Specialist. Jarica Stocker, Administrative Services Coordinator. Johnny Campbell, Technical Supervisor. Mia Beach, Photographer. Deonna Weatherly, Videographer.
Special thanks to Amrita Myers, James Wimbrush, Elizabeth Blevins, Robert Radovich, Joi Harmon, Brian Oakley, Eric Garabrant.
The African American Dance Company is a course offered for credit through the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies and one of the three ensembles in the African American Arts Institute, a unit within the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Multicultural Affairs at Indiana University. Learn more at A A A I dot Indiana dot E D U.