Juxtapower dancers perform the South African gumboot, a precursor to modern stepping that originated with rural gold mine workers. (Melissa Mastro).

“I was thrown into the fires of soul,” dancer Michael Forde said, reflecting on his time studying dance with the Zulu tribesmen in South Africa almost a decade ago. He danced in the rain, engaged in the traditional ceremonies and lived within a mile of the palace of the Zulu king. The trip from America to KwaZulu-Natal, he said, changed his life.

Today, Forde — Zulu name, Mokohnto — is a member of Juxtapower, an internationally acclaimed troupe that performed South African song and dance in Kendall Hall on Feb. 20. The show, sponsored by College Union Board (CUB) and the Black Student Union, entertained a small but substantial audience of 77 — a far cry from the sold-out audiences that the group, which has been touring nationally since 2003, has become used to.

“We just had a season in New York City last week and we sold out and had people waiting for tickets,” said South African director Sduduzo Ka-Mbili, an internationally praised dancer and choreographer, after the show.

Ka-Mbili, who came to New York City in 1990, was a student of the same Zulu teacher that would later take Forde under his wing.

The group, comprised of American, Caribbean and South African performers, is Ka-Mbili’s brainchild and has been touring the United States since 2003. In 2008, it received an invitation to perform at the United Nations headquarters in New York City for Africa Day, May 25.

“When I got here I found people knew nothing about Africa and who we are,” Ka-Mbili said. “Everyone was ‘America’ and ‘America.’ So I thought, why don’t I do something to show people who we are? We have a painful past, but we still try to celebrate where we come from and who we are.”

Juxtapower offered a comprehensive representation of South Africa, Africa’s richest nation, which repealed its racial discrimination laws in 1994. Juxtapower educated the audience through a program that encompassed traditional Zulu dance, urban dance and music in a tongue that combined the nation’s four languages — Afrikaans, English, Zulu and Sutu.

The show opened with the rumbling of drums, followed by silence, then another rumble. A chorus of animal noises erupted before a commanding voice announced “We are all from Africa.”

The performances began with four men in rubber boots, who danced traditional gumboot, a precursor to step that began with the rural laborers who worked in the South African gold mines. The College audience was thrilled by a final number in which dancers in traditional Zulu dress flipped like acrobats through the air, spun with ballerina-like grace and showcased their warrior-like athleticism, slicing the air with 10-20 consecutive kicks, jumps and splits at a time. According to Ka-Mbili, the night’s five male and two female performers represented only half the usual cast.

“That’s step and that’s where stepping comes from and that’s what we do,” said senior finance major Terry Oppong, who is actively involved with the College’s step team and lived in South Africa for nine years.

“Africa is the mecca of the arts,” Forde said. “If you go there as an artist, it’s better than going to Juilliard because what you learn there you can’t learn in books. It’s straight from the soul … Zulu dance is a free dance. It’s in the depths of the culture, the tradition.”

KwaZulu-Natal is a southeastern province in South Africa and is home to about 11 million Zulu people, South Africa’s largest ethnic group. The tribal people, labeled third-class citizens under apartheid, now claim equal rights.

The musical numbers were alternated with comedic sketches and more serious asides in which the performers gave the audience insight into the turbulent history of South Africa. One performer played the part of a BBC reporter at the World Cup and poked fun at the British cockney accent, before introducing a promotional film on South Africa that depicted the nation’s tribal culture, wildlife, towering skyscrapers and even ostrich races.

“It’s rare to find a group that’s actually from Africa that happens to be touring in the area … it’s kind of golden for us,” said CUB director Rachel Fleig, senior communication studies major. “They’re international stars kind of, but they’re so nice and happy. They (were) a pleasure to work with.”

Laura Herzog can be reached at herzog2@tcnj.edu.