Monday, March 24, 2008

Gumshoe dancing at work

Music Monday at Soccer Mom in Denial


I work in a building full of non-profit organizations, or non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Folks work on a range of issues, including helping the food service industry be more green, saving animals around the world, working to make the US health care system more accountable to patients, and other issues to make our world more fair, equitable and just.

One group is South Africa Partners. They work to develop partnerships between US and South African institutions around education, health and economic development. They also sponsor the booksale I've been spearheading the last week. I'm pretty proud of the fact that between our church and an independent book store, we've together raised over $350 for underresourced school libraries.

Once a week in a conference room, a South Africa Partners staff member teaches a class in gumshoe dancing. After months of conflicts, being out with sick kids or travel, I finally got to put on rainboots at lunch time and head to the second floor. She explained to us the mine workers suffered from all sorts of foot ailments due to the water in the mines. Rather than create better drainage systems, the mine owners gave the workers gumboots, or wellies, to wear.

All of the men were unable to bring their families and therefore lived in large dormatories with other laborers from the same regions (in part to ensure that language barriers remained unbroken). To socialize with each other, they created this intense dance that doesn't involve musical instruments and would compete in weekly competitions.

Let's just say that less than half an hour of this and I was whiped.




Got a tune that exhuasts you? Do tell. And when you write about it, do link back. It is only fair...

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, it may be exhausting, but the dance looks fun as hell!

I'll post up my MM tomorrow morning, you know, on Monday. ;)

Madam Crunchypants said...

I'm exhausted watching. But I love music that doesn't involve singing and instruments - pure rhythm like that - fantastic.

I got chills!

Korie said...

I think I've seen gumshoe before. Is it the precursor to stomp? That's what it reminded me of. And it definitely looks like a workout...much more fun than Tae Bo.

Mariposa said...

Dancing is always fun...can be exhausting...but exhaustingly fun! :)

Happy Easter and have a great Monday!

Jen said...

What a great clip! And isn't this part of a much older tradition? I thought it was... maybe even the precursor to tap?

janey jay said...

That's awesome -- who needs aerobics? Well, I do, but that looks like much more fun.

Jenn in Holland said...

That. Just. May. Be. The. Coolest. Thing. I've. Ever. Seen.

(though I wish I could see YOU doing it!)
Splendid post, babe. I am up and in from Ireland.
(did I tell you I was in Ireland???)

Flower Child said...

I know those boots well - anyone who can dance in them is quite talented!

Unknown said...

holy awesome, batman!!!

BatSpit said...

I'm not really sure how I got here :::looks around with a confused expression::: clicked a link on a blog that led me to another blog that led me here. Lovely post- I hadn't seen or heard of this before. Thanks!