This year’s 12th Riel Dance competition which took place at the Taal monument in Paarl in the Boland did not disappoint.
It is part of plans to preserve an ancient celebratory dance traditionally performed by the Khoi and San. The Riel Dance as an art form nearly became extinct due to urbanisation and popular culture.
The “Riel” as it is known, was popular among farm workers between the 1940’s and the 1960’s. Today’s dancers tried to capture something of that era in their costumes.
Thanks to the intervention of the Afrikaanse Taal en Kultuur Vereniging (ATKV) or Afrikaans Language and Cultural Association, this dance form has been revived, especially among the youth. 89 groups competed countrywide for a place in the final where they danced up a dust storm.
For Riel dancers, this unique dance form is much more than just a hobby, it’s in their blood and a proud part of their heritage and history.
The competition is divided into three groups: seniors, under 20s and under 14s with five teams each competing in the final.
Every dance has a theme and tells a story, the teams practise and plan for a whole year leading up to this competition.
Everyday life events like working, falling in love, happiness, and hardships are portrayed and celebrated thanks to the Riel dance.
As the Riel dancers say: “Die riel is in ons siel”, it’s a dance that comes from the soul.
Watch a related video below:
