Clogging
Encyclopedia
Clogging is a type of folk dance
with roots in traditional European dancing, early African-American dance, and traditional Cherokee
dance in which the dancer's footwear is used musically by striking the heel, the toe, or both in unison against a floor or each other to create audible percussive rhythms. The dance has fused with similar dances such as the Peruvian dance "zapateo
" (which may in itself be a derivate of very early European clog dances), this resulted in the birth of newer street dance
s, such as tap
, locking
, jump
, stomping
and the Nordic track dance. The use of clogs is rarer in the more modern dances since clog shoes seem no longer to be a fashion in urban society (of which most dances are now evolving from). Clogging in its main form is often considered the first dance to be classed as a street dance, this is since it evolved in urban environments during the industrial revolution
due to urbanisation.
Clogging was social dance in the Appalachian Mountains
as early as the 18th century.
As the clogging style has migrated over the years, many localities have made contributions by adding local steps and rhythms to the style. Welsh seamen appear to have adopted a dance very early on and may have been those who introduced it to the British Isles. As the dance migrated to England in the 15th century, the all-wooden clog was replaced by a leather-topped shoe with a one-piece wooden bottom. By the 16th century a more conventional leather shoe with separate wooden pieces on the heel and toe called "flats" became popular, from where the terms "heel and toe" and "flat footing" derive.
In later periods it was not always called "clogging", being known variously as flat-footing, foot-stomping, buck dancing, clog dancing, jigging, or other local terms. What all these had in common was emphasizing the downbeat of the music by enthusiastic footwork. As for the shoes many old clogging shoes had no taps and some were made of leather and velvet, while the soles of the shoes were either wooden or hard leather.
frequently encountered step dancing
, clog dancing and North West morris dancing (a type of morris often performed in clogs, but not the same as clog dancing) in his search for folk dances in England, but it was Maud Karpeles
who was more effective in documenting some of these dances. She encountered groups of North West morris dancers in the North-West of England. Her book The Lancashire Morris Dance was published in 1930. In 1911 John Graham had published Lancashire and Cheshire Morris Dances from the same area. Both in the USA and in England clog dancing was also known as "buck and wing" dancing. The "wing" referred to is the step where a foot is kicked out to one side, striking the ground as it goes.
Clog dancing traditions still exist in some festivals in Northumberland
, and are danced to the traditional music of the area
. Clog dancing is also still practiced in parts of Lancashire
, Cheshire
, Yorkshire
, Cumbria
and Derbyshire
and there are teams dancing the Northern traditional dances (and newer ones) in many other parts of England. Clog dance competitions currently held in England include the Lancashire and Cheshire Clog Dancing Contests (focussing on Lancashire
style clog dancing) held every September as part of the Fylde Folk Festival in Fleetwood
, and the Northern Counties Clog Dancing Championships (focussing on Durham
and Northumberland
style clog dancing) held every year in Tyne and Wear
.
cotton mill
s where wooden-soled clogs were preferred to leather soles because the floors were kept wet to help keep the humidity
high, important in cotton spinning. Clog dancers were a common sight at music halls throughout the 19th century and into the early 20th century. Dan Leno
became the world champion clog dancer in the 1880s, although records show that competitive clog dancing was a frequent occurrence throughout the 19th century.
English clog dancing started in the Industrial Revolution
. Workers sitting at the weaving machines wore hard-soled shoes, which they would tap
to the rhythms of the machines to keep their feet warm. At their breaks and lunches, they would have competitions, where they were judged on the best rhythm
patterns. In later years of the Industrial Revolution, they clog-danced on proper stages
at competitions. In these competitions, the judges would watch the routine and judge it according to footwork, precision, and technique.
team clogging originated from square dance teams in Asheville, North Carolina
's Mountain Dance and Folk Festival (1928), organized by Bascom Lamar Lunsford in the Appalachian region
.
American Clogging is associated with the predecessor to bluegrass
—"old-time" music
, which is based on Irish
and Scots-Irish fiddle tunes. Clogging developed from aspects of English, Irish, German, and Cherokee step dances, as well as African rhythms and movement. It was from clogging that tap dance
eventually evolved. Now, many clogging teams compete against other teams for prizes such as money and trophies.
An interesting bit of clog dancing is seen in the film Deliverance during the dueling banjo/guitar scene when the old gas station guy does a very shaky bit of clogging
s were sailors who smoked meat and fish after the manner of the Indians. Another source states that the word "bockorau" can be traced to the "Angolan" word "buckra', and was used to refer to white people, which is disputed. Eventually the term came to describe Irish immigrant sailors whose Jig
dance was known as 'the buck.'" http://www.southernspaces.org/contents/2004/bransford/1c.htm
One source states that buck dancing was the earliest combination of the basic shuffle and tap steps performed to syncopated rhythms in which the accents are placed not on the straight beat, as with the jigs, clogs, and other dances of European origin, but on the downbeat or offbeat, a style derived primarily from the rhythms of African tribal music.
Buck dancing was popularized in America by minstrel performers in the late 19th century. Many folk festivals and fairs utilize dancing clubs or teams to perform both Buck and regular clogging for entertainment.
Traditional Appalachian clogging is characterized by loose, often bent knees and a "drag-slide" motion of the foot across the floor, and is usually performed to old-time music.
The longest running of the organizations, the National Clogging and Hoedown Council, began in 1974 and is now a part of the C.L.O.G. National Clogging Organization. The sanctioning body hosts its annual grand championships at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee each Labor Day Weekend. The N.C.H.C. was influential in establishing the basic rules and scoring guidelines that have shaped clogging competition. Information about the organization can be found on its website at www.clog.org .
America’s Clogging Hall of Fame (ACHF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the old time square dance and clogging. ACHF was founded by Dan and Sandy Angel in 1981. ACHF calls the Stompin’ Grounds in Maggie Valley, North Carolina its home.
ACHF sanctions many competitions throughout the year where teams and dancers can qualify to compete in the ACHF National Championships dance-off the last full weekend in October at the Stompin’ Grounds. Any team finishing 1st or 2nd with each dance in TWO sanctioned competitions qualifies to compete at the World Championships Dance-Off. Also, all grand champion solo winners at each sanctioned event earn the opportunity to compete in October for a chance to dance on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.
America’s Clogging Hall of Fame honors many of its dancers at the October Championships. An All-American Clogging Team is selected each year through a nominating and selection process in which 24 of our best dancers are chosen. ACHF also selects 16 dancers to the Junior All-American Team and 4 dancers to the Senior All-American Team each year. These dancers are showcased at the National Championships. Also honored at the National Championships are at least two individuals who are inducted into America’s Clogging Hall of Fame. These inductees have been clogging for at least 25 years and have been a positive influence in the preservation of the dance. College scholarships are also awarded in October for up to three deserving students.
The ACHF competition year runs from October 1 to September 30. A list of those competitions and information is available on the organization's website at www.achf.net.
Clogging Champions of America (C.C.A.) was formed in 1998 to generate more activity and interest in clogging and competition, to promote a spirit of fun and fellowship, and to make sure the beginner clogger will get to enjoy competing as much as the clogger who has been in it for years. The goal of C.C.A. is to create an atmosphere of spirited and sportsmanlike competition, and to provide more opportunities for cloggers within the competitive and entertainment realms. Competition, C.C.A. feels, is a healthy and entertaining part of clogging because it offers dancers the opportunity to travel to different locations – meeting new clogging friends, step sharing, and supporting each other competitively.
C.C.A. devised a system to give the amateur dancers a chance to gain their self-esteem and prepare them to finally compete against more experienced teams. At any Clogging Champions of America affiliated event, a team qualifying as an Amateur – having never won a first place honor in a clogging competition, may compete under Amateur status now for two (2) C.C.A. calendar years, January to December. At each Clogging Champions of America event, the top three scoring teams in each category and division of Challenge, including Junior and Senior, will qualify to dance at the Showdown of Champions which will be held at the beginning of the following year. The top four scoring teams in each category of Amateur will also qualify for the next year’s Showdown of Champions. You only need to qualify once per category, but you may dance at any or all affiliated competitions, and you will receive “Star” Points for doing so. In 2011, the C.C.A. organization added a STARZ level of competition to its events which gives competitors the chance to be judged against a point system rather than each other, making every dancer recognized.
To recognize clogging’s brightest, C.C.A. devised the Showdown of Champions, which brings together the winners from the best competitions in the country to compete under one roof. We also recognize the Solo dancer. First place Solo winners in each age division from each competition will qualify for the Showdown of Champions. The Showdown of Champions draws the most geographically diverse attendance of any of the sanctioning bodies, with teams from East to West Coast participating on a regular basis. The organization's website is www.ccaclog.com
America Onstage is a clogging and dance competition circuit based in Utah. The organization hosts events in Utah, Idaho and Arizona during the months of February through May culminating in a three weekend dance-off at Lagoon Amusement Park. The organization's website is www.americaonstage.org.
Modern competitive clogging, also called precision clogging is inspired by traditional styles but performed to a wide variety of music, including bluegrass, modern country, rock music, pop, and hip hop. Today competitive precision clogging has several sanctioning bodies that oversee competitions held throughout the United States, with the majority located in the southeastern states. Also the style has evolved from flat foot to dancing on the balls of the feet. Toe stands are a recent adaptation from other dance forms. These high-energy styles have opened the forum to a wide audience with hundreds of workshops and competitions every year.
Fusion, or the adding of new styles into another, has affected clogging in recent years. Fusion has brought popularity to clogging as well as greater recognition.
Clogging are often black, white, or black and white. Some people feel that white shoes are better at attracting attention from an audience. Clogging shoes generally have taps that are double taps or "jingle taps". This makes it so there are four taps on each shoe—-two on the toe, and two on the heel. One is securely fastened to the shoe, while the other is more loosely fastened and hits both the floor and the fastened tap while dancing or simply walking about. Cloggers with this type of tap can be heard on carpet as well as hard surface floors.
One more recent example of clogging is the dance show America's Best Dance Crew
on MTV
, where Dynamic Edition danced their way through the 3rd season
, all the way to 5th place. Another recent example of clogging is a talent show America's Got Talent
on NBC
, where Extreme Dance FX from Season 3 and Fab Five from Season 4 danced their way of clogging.
Green Grass style clogging is a relatively recent style of Appalachian "folk clogging" developed by and associated with the Green Grass Cloggers of Greenville, North Carolina
(and later also of Asheville, North Carolina). They began in 1971 as students at East Carolina University
in Greenville. Their style is not traditional flatfooting, nor is it traditional mountain-style clogging, or contemporary precision clogging, but it is a form of precision clogging in the sense that it features choreographed routines where the dancers are all dancing in unison (same steps at the same time), while moving through figures. The figures are taken from western square dancing
, rather than from traditional southern Appalachian dancing. It is usually performed to old-time music
.
In 2006, nearly 500 teenagers attempted the "Guinness Book of World Records" bid for the largest number of clog dancers. It took place in The Hague. They were dancing the ballet version of the Dutch clog dance rather than the folk version. The ballet "La Fille Mal Gardée
" contains a well-known clog dance. For this specific dance the choreography was created by Stanley Holden
(1928–2007), though Frederick Ashton
took overall responsibility for it.
Folk dance
The term folk dance describes dances that share some or all of the following attributes:*They are dances performed at social functions by people with little or no professional training, often to traditional music or music based on traditional music....
with roots in traditional European dancing, early African-American dance, and traditional Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
dance in which the dancer's footwear is used musically by striking the heel, the toe, or both in unison against a floor or each other to create audible percussive rhythms. The dance has fused with similar dances such as the Peruvian dance "zapateo
Zapateo
Zapateo which literally means "shoe tapping", is rooted in the Spanish Flamenco and before that, in the ancient cultural influences imported in to Europe by the Gypsies....
" (which may in itself be a derivate of very early European clog dances), this resulted in the birth of newer street dance
Street dance
Street dance, more formally known as vernacular dance, is an umbrella term used to describe dance styles that evolved outside of dance studios in any available open space such as streets, dance parties, block parties, parks, school yards, raves, and nightclubs, etc...
s, such as tap
Tap dance
Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...
, locking
Locking (dance)
Locking is a style of funk dance, which is today also associated with hip hop. The name is based on the concept of locking movements, which basically means freezing from a fast movement and "locking" in a certain position, holding that position for a short while and then continuing in the same...
, jump
Jumpstyle
Jumpstyle is a rave dance and electronic music genre mainly practiced in Europe, specifically Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, northern France, and a few parts in the United States, specifically Indiana. The dance is also called Jumpen...
, stomping
Melbourne Shuffle
The Melbourne Shuffle is a rave and club dance that originated in the late 1980s in the underground rave music scene in Melbourne, Australia. The basic movements in the dance are a fast heel-and-toe action with a style suitable for various types of electronic music. Some variants incorporate arm...
and the Nordic track dance. The use of clogs is rarer in the more modern dances since clog shoes seem no longer to be a fashion in urban society (of which most dances are now evolving from). Clogging in its main form is often considered the first dance to be classed as a street dance, this is since it evolved in urban environments during the industrial revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
due to urbanisation.
Clogging was social dance in the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
as early as the 18th century.
As the clogging style has migrated over the years, many localities have made contributions by adding local steps and rhythms to the style. Welsh seamen appear to have adopted a dance very early on and may have been those who introduced it to the British Isles. As the dance migrated to England in the 15th century, the all-wooden clog was replaced by a leather-topped shoe with a one-piece wooden bottom. By the 16th century a more conventional leather shoe with separate wooden pieces on the heel and toe called "flats" became popular, from where the terms "heel and toe" and "flat footing" derive.
In later periods it was not always called "clogging", being known variously as flat-footing, foot-stomping, buck dancing, clog dancing, jigging, or other local terms. What all these had in common was emphasizing the downbeat of the music by enthusiastic footwork. As for the shoes many old clogging shoes had no taps and some were made of leather and velvet, while the soles of the shoes were either wooden or hard leather.
Wales
Clog dancing is traditional in Wales and is a regular feature of both local and national eisteddfodau. Competition can be energetic with the dancers leaping over brooms. "Welsh Clog Dancing is not like North-West or Lancashire Step. It is not a revival, as it is danced in the style of the unbroken tradition." Welsh clog dancing is stylistically distinct from English clog dancing.England
Cecil SharpCecil Sharp
Cecil James Sharp was the founding father of the folklore revival in England in the early 20th century, and many of England's traditional dances and music owe their continuing existence to his work in recording and publishing them.-Early life:Sharp was born in Camberwell, London, the eldest son of...
frequently encountered step dancing
Step dance
Step dance is the generic term for dance styles where the footwork is the most important part of the dance. Body and arm movements and styling are either restricted or considered irrelevant.Step dance is one end of a spectrum of dance styles...
, clog dancing and North West morris dancing (a type of morris often performed in clogs, but not the same as clog dancing) in his search for folk dances in England, but it was Maud Karpeles
Maud Karpeles
Maud Karpeles was a collector of folksongs and dance teacher.Maud Karpeles was born in London in 1885. In Berlin at the "Hochschule für Musik" she studied piano for six months. In 1892 a women's settlement had been created in Cumberland Road, Canning Town in 1892...
who was more effective in documenting some of these dances. She encountered groups of North West morris dancers in the North-West of England. Her book The Lancashire Morris Dance was published in 1930. In 1911 John Graham had published Lancashire and Cheshire Morris Dances from the same area. Both in the USA and in England clog dancing was also known as "buck and wing" dancing. The "wing" referred to is the step where a foot is kicked out to one side, striking the ground as it goes.
Clog dancing traditions still exist in some festivals in Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, and are danced to the traditional music of the area
Music of Northumbria
Here Northumbria is taken to mean Northumberland, the northernmost county of England, and County Durham. The region possesses a distinctive style of folk music with a strong and continuing tradition...
. Clog dancing is also still practiced in parts of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
and Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
and there are teams dancing the Northern traditional dances (and newer ones) in many other parts of England. Clog dance competitions currently held in England include the Lancashire and Cheshire Clog Dancing Contests (focussing on Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
style clog dancing) held every September as part of the Fylde Folk Festival in Fleetwood
Fleetwood
Fleetwood is a town within the Wyre district of Lancashire, England, lying at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 26,840 people at the 2001 Census. It forms part of the Greater Blackpool conurbation. The town was the first planned community of the Victorian era...
, and the Northern Counties Clog Dancing Championships (focussing on Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
and Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
style clog dancing) held every year in Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
.
Industrial Revolution and after
Clog dancing was a common pastime in 19th century England. It is thought to have developed in the LancashireLancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
cotton mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
s where wooden-soled clogs were preferred to leather soles because the floors were kept wet to help keep the humidity
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
high, important in cotton spinning. Clog dancers were a common sight at music halls throughout the 19th century and into the early 20th century. Dan Leno
Dan Leno
Dan Leno , born George Wild Galvin, was an English comedian and actor, famous for appearing in music hall and dozens of comic plays, pantomimes, Victorian burlesques and musical comedies during the Victorian era...
became the world champion clog dancer in the 1880s, although records show that competitive clog dancing was a frequent occurrence throughout the 19th century.
English clog dancing started in the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
. Workers sitting at the weaving machines wore hard-soled shoes, which they would tap
Tap dance
Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...
to the rhythms of the machines to keep their feet warm. At their breaks and lunches, they would have competitions, where they were judged on the best rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
patterns. In later years of the Industrial Revolution, they clog-danced on proper stages
Stage (theatre)
In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...
at competitions. In these competitions, the judges would watch the routine and judge it according to footwork, precision, and technique.
Antecedents
In daU.S.United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
team clogging originated from square dance teams in Asheville, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
's Mountain Dance and Folk Festival (1928), organized by Bascom Lamar Lunsford in the Appalachian region
Appalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
.
American Clogging is associated with the predecessor to bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
—"old-time" music
Old-time music
Old-time music is a genre of North American folk music, with roots in the folk music of many countries, including England, Scotland, Ireland and countries in Africa. It developed along with various North American folk dances, such as square dance, buck dance, and clogging. The genre also...
, which is based on Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Scots-Irish fiddle tunes. Clogging developed from aspects of English, Irish, German, and Cherokee step dances, as well as African rhythms and movement. It was from clogging that tap dance
Tap dance
Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...
eventually evolved. Now, many clogging teams compete against other teams for prizes such as money and trophies.
An interesting bit of clog dancing is seen in the film Deliverance during the dueling banjo/guitar scene when the old gas station guy does a very shaky bit of clogging
Terminology
Solo dancing (outside the context of the big circle dance) is known in various places as buck dance, flat-footing, hoedown, jigging, sure-footing, and/or stepping. These names vary in meaning from place to place, and dancers do not always agree on their use. The term 'buck', as in buck dancing, is traceable to the West Indies and is derived from a Tupi Indian word denoting a frame for drying and smoking meat; the original 'po bockarau', or buccaneerBuccaneer
The buccaneers were privateers who attacked Spanish shipping in the Caribbean Sea during the late 17th century.The term buccaneer is now used generally as a synonym for pirate...
s were sailors who smoked meat and fish after the manner of the Indians. Another source states that the word "bockorau" can be traced to the "Angolan" word "buckra', and was used to refer to white people, which is disputed. Eventually the term came to describe Irish immigrant sailors whose Jig
Jig
The Jig is a form of lively folk dance, as well as the accompanying dance tune, originating in England in the 16th century and today most associated with Irish dance music and Scottish country dance music...
dance was known as 'the buck.'" http://www.southernspaces.org/contents/2004/bransford/1c.htm
One source states that buck dancing was the earliest combination of the basic shuffle and tap steps performed to syncopated rhythms in which the accents are placed not on the straight beat, as with the jigs, clogs, and other dances of European origin, but on the downbeat or offbeat, a style derived primarily from the rhythms of African tribal music.
Buck dancing was popularized in America by minstrel performers in the late 19th century. Many folk festivals and fairs utilize dancing clubs or teams to perform both Buck and regular clogging for entertainment.
Traditional Appalachian clogging is characterized by loose, often bent knees and a "drag-slide" motion of the foot across the floor, and is usually performed to old-time music.
Competitive clogging
Four organizations sanction competitive events in the modern American clog dancing world.The longest running of the organizations, the National Clogging and Hoedown Council, began in 1974 and is now a part of the C.L.O.G. National Clogging Organization. The sanctioning body hosts its annual grand championships at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee each Labor Day Weekend. The N.C.H.C. was influential in establishing the basic rules and scoring guidelines that have shaped clogging competition. Information about the organization can be found on its website at www.clog.org .
America’s Clogging Hall of Fame (ACHF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the old time square dance and clogging. ACHF was founded by Dan and Sandy Angel in 1981. ACHF calls the Stompin’ Grounds in Maggie Valley, North Carolina its home.
ACHF sanctions many competitions throughout the year where teams and dancers can qualify to compete in the ACHF National Championships dance-off the last full weekend in October at the Stompin’ Grounds. Any team finishing 1st or 2nd with each dance in TWO sanctioned competitions qualifies to compete at the World Championships Dance-Off. Also, all grand champion solo winners at each sanctioned event earn the opportunity to compete in October for a chance to dance on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.
America’s Clogging Hall of Fame honors many of its dancers at the October Championships. An All-American Clogging Team is selected each year through a nominating and selection process in which 24 of our best dancers are chosen. ACHF also selects 16 dancers to the Junior All-American Team and 4 dancers to the Senior All-American Team each year. These dancers are showcased at the National Championships. Also honored at the National Championships are at least two individuals who are inducted into America’s Clogging Hall of Fame. These inductees have been clogging for at least 25 years and have been a positive influence in the preservation of the dance. College scholarships are also awarded in October for up to three deserving students.
The ACHF competition year runs from October 1 to September 30. A list of those competitions and information is available on the organization's website at www.achf.net.
Clogging Champions of America (C.C.A.) was formed in 1998 to generate more activity and interest in clogging and competition, to promote a spirit of fun and fellowship, and to make sure the beginner clogger will get to enjoy competing as much as the clogger who has been in it for years. The goal of C.C.A. is to create an atmosphere of spirited and sportsmanlike competition, and to provide more opportunities for cloggers within the competitive and entertainment realms. Competition, C.C.A. feels, is a healthy and entertaining part of clogging because it offers dancers the opportunity to travel to different locations – meeting new clogging friends, step sharing, and supporting each other competitively.
C.C.A. devised a system to give the amateur dancers a chance to gain their self-esteem and prepare them to finally compete against more experienced teams. At any Clogging Champions of America affiliated event, a team qualifying as an Amateur – having never won a first place honor in a clogging competition, may compete under Amateur status now for two (2) C.C.A. calendar years, January to December. At each Clogging Champions of America event, the top three scoring teams in each category and division of Challenge, including Junior and Senior, will qualify to dance at the Showdown of Champions which will be held at the beginning of the following year. The top four scoring teams in each category of Amateur will also qualify for the next year’s Showdown of Champions. You only need to qualify once per category, but you may dance at any or all affiliated competitions, and you will receive “Star” Points for doing so. In 2011, the C.C.A. organization added a STARZ level of competition to its events which gives competitors the chance to be judged against a point system rather than each other, making every dancer recognized.
To recognize clogging’s brightest, C.C.A. devised the Showdown of Champions, which brings together the winners from the best competitions in the country to compete under one roof. We also recognize the Solo dancer. First place Solo winners in each age division from each competition will qualify for the Showdown of Champions. The Showdown of Champions draws the most geographically diverse attendance of any of the sanctioning bodies, with teams from East to West Coast participating on a regular basis. The organization's website is www.ccaclog.com
America Onstage is a clogging and dance competition circuit based in Utah. The organization hosts events in Utah, Idaho and Arizona during the months of February through May culminating in a three weekend dance-off at Lagoon Amusement Park. The organization's website is www.americaonstage.org.
Modern competitive clogging, also called precision clogging is inspired by traditional styles but performed to a wide variety of music, including bluegrass, modern country, rock music, pop, and hip hop. Today competitive precision clogging has several sanctioning bodies that oversee competitions held throughout the United States, with the majority located in the southeastern states. Also the style has evolved from flat foot to dancing on the balls of the feet. Toe stands are a recent adaptation from other dance forms. These high-energy styles have opened the forum to a wide audience with hundreds of workshops and competitions every year.
Fusion, or the adding of new styles into another, has affected clogging in recent years. Fusion has brought popularity to clogging as well as greater recognition.
Clogging are often black, white, or black and white. Some people feel that white shoes are better at attracting attention from an audience. Clogging shoes generally have taps that are double taps or "jingle taps". This makes it so there are four taps on each shoe—-two on the toe, and two on the heel. One is securely fastened to the shoe, while the other is more loosely fastened and hits both the floor and the fastened tap while dancing or simply walking about. Cloggers with this type of tap can be heard on carpet as well as hard surface floors.
One more recent example of clogging is the dance show America's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew, often abbreviated as ABDC, is an American competitive dance reality television series that features street dance crews from the United States and around the world. It is produced by American Idol judge Randy Jackson and airs on MTV...
on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, where Dynamic Edition danced their way through the 3rd season
America's Best Dance Crew (Season 3)
The third season of America's Best Dance Crew premiered on January 15, 2009. It was hosted by Mario Lopez and featured Layla Kayleigh as the backstage correspondent. The judges included rapper Lil Mama, former *NSYNC singer JC Chasez, and hip-hop choreographer Shane Sparks...
, all the way to 5th place. Another recent example of clogging is a talent show America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, where Extreme Dance FX from Season 3 and Fab Five from Season 4 danced their way of clogging.
Green Grass style clogging is a relatively recent style of Appalachian "folk clogging" developed by and associated with the Green Grass Cloggers of Greenville, North Carolina
Greenville, North Carolina
Greenville is the county seat of Pitt County and principal city of the Greenville, North Carolina metropolitan area. Greenville is the health, entertainment, and educational hub of North Carolina's Tidewater and Coastal Plain and in 2008 was listed as the Tenth Largest City in North Carolina...
(and later also of Asheville, North Carolina). They began in 1971 as students at East Carolina University
East Carolina University
East Carolina University is a public, coeducational, engaged doctoral/research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the largest institution of higher learning in...
in Greenville. Their style is not traditional flatfooting, nor is it traditional mountain-style clogging, or contemporary precision clogging, but it is a form of precision clogging in the sense that it features choreographed routines where the dancers are all dancing in unison (same steps at the same time), while moving through figures. The figures are taken from western square dancing
Modern Western square dance
Modern Western square dance is one of two types of square dancing, along with traditional square dance. As a dance form, modern Western square dance grew out of traditional Western dance...
, rather than from traditional southern Appalachian dancing. It is usually performed to old-time music
Old-time music
Old-time music is a genre of North American folk music, with roots in the folk music of many countries, including England, Scotland, Ireland and countries in Africa. It developed along with various North American folk dances, such as square dance, buck dance, and clogging. The genre also...
.
Netherlands
Traditional dancing in the Netherlands is often called "Folkloristisch", sometimes "Boerendansen" ("farmer-dancing") or "Klompendansen" (clog dancing). Wooden shoes are worn as an essential part of the traditional costume for Dutch clogging, or Klompendanskunst. Clogs for dancing are made lighter than the traditional 700-year-old design. The soles are made from ash wood, and the top part is cut lower by the ankle. Dancers create a rhythm by tapping the toes and heels on a wooden floor.In 2006, nearly 500 teenagers attempted the "Guinness Book of World Records" bid for the largest number of clog dancers. It took place in The Hague. They were dancing the ballet version of the Dutch clog dance rather than the folk version. The ballet "La Fille Mal Gardée
La Fille Mal Gardée
La Fille mal gardée is a comic ballet presented in two acts, inspired by Pierre-Antoine Baudouin's 1789 painting, La réprimande/Une jeune fille querellée par sa mère...
" contains a well-known clog dance. For this specific dance the choreography was created by Stanley Holden
Stanley Holden
Stanley Holden, born Stanley Herbert Waller, was a British American ballet dancer and choreographer.Born in London, he joined the Royal Ballet in 1944 and won notice for performing numerous character roles, especially "Widow Simone" in the 1960 production of La fille mal gardée by Frederick Ashton...
(1928–2007), though Frederick Ashton
Frederick Ashton
Sir Frederick William Mallandaine Ashton OM, CH, CBE was a leading international dancer and choreographer. He is most noted as the founder choreographer of The Royal Ballet in London, but also worked as a director and choreographer of opera, film and theatre revues.-Early life:Ashton was born at...
took overall responsibility for it.
See also
- American traditional informal freeform solo folk dancingAmerican traditional informal freeform solo folk dancingAmerican traditional informal freeform solo folk dancing is a form of dance oriented to spontaneous individual dancing, where self-expression and creativity are expected.- Contrasts of American traditional dance styles :...
- Buckdancer's ChoiceBuckdancer's ChoiceBuckdancer's Choice is a 1965 collection of poems by James Dickey. The book received the Melville Cane Award and the National Book Award for Poetry in 1966....
- Ira BernsteinIra BernsteinIra Bernstein is a dancer and teacher in the United States who specializes in traditional American dance forms such as Appalachian-style clogging, flatfoot dancing, tap dance, and step dancing. He is considered an authority on clogging, and the leading figure in this dance style...
- Jesco WhiteJesco WhiteJesco White, the "Dancing Outlaw", is an American mountain dancer and entertainer. He is best known as the subject of three American documentary films that detail his desire to follow in his famous father's footsteps, while trying to overcome depression, drug addiction, and the poverty that...
- LimberjackLimberjackThe limberjack, known variously as a jig doll, slapjack, jiggerman, limberjim, limberjill, dancin' dan, paddle puppet and yankee-doodle dancer, is a wooden musical instrument which consists of a doll with loose joints on the end of a long stick, the legs of which the performer causes to tap...
- Sean-nós danceSean-nós danceSean-nós dance is an older style of traditional solo Irish dance. It is a casual dance form Irish Stepdancing....
including as practiced in AmericaSean-nós dance in AmericaSean-nós dance in America has its roots in Irish culture, but may be practiced differently from how it is danced in Ireland. When Irish people emigrated to America in great numbers during the early American Colonial period, or when escaping troubles in Ireland, they brought their dance culture with... - Step danceStep danceStep dance is the generic term for dance styles where the footwork is the most important part of the dance. Body and arm movements and styling are either restricted or considered irrelevant.Step dance is one end of a spectrum of dance styles...
- Tap danceTap danceTap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...
- ZapateadoZapateadoThe zapateado is a dance of Mexican Indian origin characterized by a lively rhythm punctuated by the striking of the dancer's shoes, akin to tap dance...
Further reading
- Spalding, Susan Eike & Woodside, Jane Harris, eds. (1995) Communities in Motion: dance, community, and tradition in America's Southeast and beyond. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
External links
- Doubletoe.com – A clogging magazine for cloggers
- ccaclog.com – The Clogging Champions of America
- The World of Clogging Workshop and Championships
- The Fontana NC Clogging Jamboree
- Talking Feet
- European Callers and Teachers association
- Square and Round Dancing Australia/NZ – Square and Round Dancing in Australia and NZ - Australian Products and area Information for Square Dancing, Round Dancing and Clogging
- Guinness Book of World Records: "Young dancers clog up The Hague"
- Clog
- Information about Modern Clogging Dancing with video
- Performance video of Fire on the Mountain Cloggers at the 2011 Texas Folklife Festival
- Folk dancing in the Netherlands, dance descriptions, video's, costumes and groups