The Zulu people have many traditional dances which they used to dance. Their dances are different and they are danced in different occasions.
Contents
1 The Bull Dance
2 The Hunting Dance
3 The Dance of the Small Shield
4 Umqhogoyo
5 Umbhekuzo
6 Umghebulo
7 The ilikhomba
8 IsiZulu Summary
The 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 thumb, the rural girls have their own version.
The Hunting Dance
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
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 umgubho.
Umqhogoyo
The umqhogoyo involves violent shaking of the upper body.
Umbhekuzo
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.
Umghebulo
The umghebulo appears as if the dancers want to pull down the sky or climb an imaginary ladder to it.
The ilikhomba
The ilikhomba is a dance with rhythmic movement of the upper body accompanied by the swinging of a long decorated stick.
All these dances are danced during times of happiness, not when they are mourning.
IsiZulu Summary
Imidanso yesintu yamaZulu yehlukahlukene, kunemidanso edanswa uma kunemicimbi ethile kanti eminye idanswa noma kunini, imidanso le ihlukene ngezindlela edanswa ngazo. Kunemidanso okuphathwa izinduku, eminye kuphathwa amahawu kanti eminye akuphathwa lutho ezandleni.
- Umdanso wamaphisi lapho besuke belingisa indlela abazingela ngayo nobuqhawe obudingeka kumuntu ozingelayo. Lomdanso uma udanswa kusetshenziswa izinduku esikhundleni semikhonto ukuze bangalimazani. Lomdanso ubudanswa kuyiwe kozingelwa. Nabesifazane bayawudansa ukwamukela abayeni babo uma sebebuya kozingela.
- Umdanso wenkunzi lapho kusuke kulingiswa inkunzi uma iphanda ngoba ibona enye inkunzi.
- Umdanso wehawu elincane wawudanswa ngezikhathi zoShaka futhi ungumdanso onesigqi okwakugqugquzelwa ngawo amasosha empi kodwa manje usuyadanswa emicimbini yasebukhosini.
- Umqhogoyo wona udanswa ngesingenhla somzimba kuphela.
- Umbhekuzo wona udanswa njengenyoka ihamba, abawudansayo bama ulayini bese kuthi labo abami ekugcineni basine baze baphenye amabheshu kuvele izinqe, lokukudansa kuhambisana nomchwayo okuyiculo eliculwayo.
- Umghebulo ilapho abadansi sebefuna ukukhuphula izinga lomdanso wabo ubukeke kahle kakhulu bese kuba ilikhomba okungumdanso abadansa ngesingenhla somzimba kuhambisane nenduku ehlobile abazwinga kuyona.
Yonke lemidanso isuke idanswa ngoba kukuhle futhi kujatshuliwe kungafe muntu.
Source: https://www.zulu-culture.co.za/zulu_dances.php
Written by: Zanele Shange