CHILDREN were left wide-eyed after seeing Zulu ‘warriors’ at their school.

Staff and students at All Saints' C of E Primary School, Clayton-le-Moors, were delighted when South African dancing group, The Lions of Zululand, accepted their invitation to perform at the school.

The lions are from KwaZulu Natal and are experts in Zulu song and dance. Their stunning stage show has impressed millions around the world.

Headteacher Ian Spencer invited the troupe after seeing them at another school.

Pupils also got the chance to learn Zulu songs and dance routines in workshops with the dancers.

the zulu

  • The Zulu are the largest South African ethnic group, with an estimated 10 to 11 million people living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, others live in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique.
  • Under apartheid, Zulu people were classed as third-class citizens and suffered from discrimination, but now have equal rights.
  • The language of the Zulu people ‘isiZulu’, is the most widely spoken language in South Africa, where it is an official language. More than half of the South African population are able to understand it.
  • Zulu music and culture has found its way into all sorts of media, and has been used by artists such as Paul Simon and in the world famous musical The Lion King.
  • The Zulus have a proud military history, and are noted for the fierce battles they fought in The Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, which saw their independent nation end.