In setapa, dancers stand in lines or circles and stamp their feet to create a driving, rhythmic sound. The coordination required is impressive — everyone must stamp at exactly the right moment, so the whole group sounds and looks like one organism. The sound of many feet stamping together resonates in your chest like a drumbeat.
Dancers wear traditional outfits that often include animal skins, colourful cloth, beads and rattles attached to the legs. The rattles add a shaking sound to each stamp, making the music even richer. Singers and drummers accompany the dancers, and the songs often tell stories or celebrate important events like a good harvest or the arrival of rain.
Setapa is much more than entertainment. It is a way of passing down history and values from older generations to younger ones. When children learn setapa, they learn not just the steps but the songs, the stories and the community spirit that go with them. It is a living library of culture.
At national events like Botswana's Independence Day on 30 September, traditional dances including setapa are performed alongside modern music and sport. Watching setapa for the first time, many visitors are struck by how the energy in the room changes when the stamping starts — it is impossible not to tap your feet.