Zulu Dances

Bull Dance: a dance that originated in the cramped confines of the mine dormitories imitating a bull with the arms held aloft and the legs brought down with a thump. The rural girls have their own version.

The Hunting Dance imitates the actions of hunting and the bravery it requires. This fiery dance is danced using sticks instead of spears to avoid injury and was danced before the hunt began. The girls also dance their own version but to welcome the men back from the hunt.

The Dance of the Small Shield dates from Shaka's time and is a rhythmic dance used to encourage military unity. Today it is normally performed at Royal occasions. A similar dance using a spear and shield is the umGhubho.

The umQhogoyo involves violent shaking of the upper body.

The umBhekuzo represents the ebb and flow of the tides with the men alternately advancing and retreating on the audience. Those at the ends lift up their aprons exposing their buttocks.

The dancers' bodies move in snakelike unison accompanied by singing in the UmChwayo.

The umGhebulo appears as if the dancers want to pull down the sky or climb an imaginary ladder to it.

The iliKhomba is a graceful dance with rhythmic movements of the upper body accompanied by the swinging of a long decorated stick.