Fans of “stepping,” a modern form of gumboot, have seen this dance style’s momentous popularity through the Step Up movie series and So You Think You Can Dance, and now is the chance to experience the origins of this unique form of entertainment and storytelling.

The rhythms of South Africa come alive with the Festival of South African Dance’s pulsating production of Gumboots – Stimela the Musical, a dance masterpiece that follows the tale of rural African men who come by train from all walks of life in search of greener pastures in the city of gold, Johannesburg. Gumboot dance emerged from a form of communication in the gold mines and has evolved into a dynamic language of rhythm and music that is performed worldwide as a celebration of South African history.