What began as curiosity has become a story of passion and discipline, as a young white South African teenager brings energy and skill to the Zulu traditional dance known as ingoma. 

Trent ‘Somlungu’ Stanley (16), from Waterfall in KZN, performs shameni, a style of ingoma dance.  

The Grade 10 pupil at Kloof High School was drawn to the ‘rhythm and beat’ of the dance at the age of 11.  

Trent says his primary school was hosting a Heritage Day event at the time, where a small group of pupils were to perform the traditional dance. 

Hooked 

“I was curious and I decided to check out one of the practice sessions. I love all types of music and I was drawn to the rhythm, the sounds and the beat of the dance. I decided to try it out and within the first practice I nailed the steps and routine. It was then that I decided to join the group and participate in the event,” he explains. 

Trent says that after his first performance, he was hooked on the dance and continued to practise and perform with the group at school events. 

His breakthrough came in October when a video of him dancing at a heritage event at Danville Park High School was shared on TikTok. 

Social media 

“The video went viral. It just blew up. TikTok users gave me the nickname Somlungu, which essentially means ‘white person’. When I saw the reaction, I started posting my dances on my own TikTok page,” he says. 

A month later, the Molweni-based dance group AmaVumangoma spotted him on social media and invited him to join their 32-member ensemble. 

“I was both shocked and excited because being part of a group meant that I would perform at bigger events and learn how to improve my dance skills,” he says. 

 Smanga Ngcobo, the leader of his dance group, says Trent caught his eye because he danced with such passion. 

“The way he performed the dance moves drew me to him. You don’t expect a white person to master the dance. Even now, when we teach him a new dance, he puts all his effort into mastering it,” he adds. 
 
Since joining the group, he has participated in five events throughout KZN. 

During his performances, Trent wears blue trousers, a white vest, beads on his forehead and amashoba (animal skin) tied on his legs.  

“We practise every week, and when we have an event, it’s every day. The group has been so welcoming and helpful. When I get on stage, and people see me for the first time, they start screaming and shouting. Many of them want to take pictures with me,” he says. 
 

Zulu culture 

For Trent, a highlight has been the encouragement he received from an ingoma dancer known as Mthakashana. 

“He is one of the best dancers. He complimented me on my dancing and said he had never seen anyone perform like me. That was a real highlight for me.” 

“I have always been familiar with Zulu culture because of what I learnt from my friends,” he says. 

His plans for the future include becoming a chef, as he loves cooking, but he also hopes to perform maskandi, a genre of Zulu music. 

Rainbow nation 

Trent says his family were initially unsure about him participating in the dance, but they quickly recognised his passion for it. 
 
 “I like watching him dance now. I see the happiness in him. I have seen a change in Trent since he started dancing. He has become more mature and responsible,” says his father, Darren. 

Trent believes that South Africans should embrace one another’s cultures. 

“Don’t be afraid to explore other people’s culture. We live in a rainbow nation and we are fortunate to have the diversity that we do,” he adds.  

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