Last week, I was fortunate to attend a school dance competition. Schools from all over the Manzini region gathered to showcase their skills.
Ummiso (pronounced oo-me-see) is a Swazi traditional dance performed by young unmarried girls. This tradition is rooted in the grand Swazi tradition of Umhlanga (pronounced oom-shlan-ga).
Sabaca (pronounced sah-bah-click c-ah) is a Swazi traditional warrior dance performed by boys and men. In each ummiso or sabaca performance, there is singing. Occasionally, there are drums. A fellow teacher explained that Swazis communicate and tell stories through songs. The songs sung during the competition are no different.
I’m very proud of our students, and all of the hard work that they did to prepare for the event. They represented the school and the community very well.
Be kind to yourself.
Onward.
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