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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

April 2012 Clogging Class & Workshop


Announcing – Clogging Workshop & Class

1. What:               Beginner Clogging Workshop
Where:                        Championz Cheer and Dance Studio
Location:                     3744 Pleasant Plains Road, Matthews, NC  28104
When:                         April 21
What Time:                 2:00 – 5:00 PM
Instructor:                   Allen Cooke, director of former Skyline Cloggers of Charlotte
Ages:                          All ages: Kids, 7-ish to Adults, 70-ish
Price:                          $20 (Cheap!)

Description:
A one-day workshop in traditional step clog dancing will be held on Saturday, April 21. Clogging is an original North Carolina Folk Dance and is great aerobic exercise. You can get into the best physical condition attainable and preserve a NC heritage. This is not a class in percussive flatfoot, buck or modern clogging.

2. What:                  Intermediate Clogging Class
Where:                        Championz Cheer and Dance Studio
Location:                     3744 Pleasant Plains Road, Matthews, NC  28104        704-821-2409
When:                         April 26 – May 24 (5 weeks)
What Time:                 8:00 – 9:00 PM
Instructor:                   Allen Cooke, director of former Skyline Cloggers of Charlotte
Ages:                          All ages: Kids, 7-ish to Adults, 70-ish
Price:                          $20 (Cheap!)

Description:
A 5-week class on Thursday nights in traditional step clog dancing for intermediates begins April 26. This is not a class in percussive flatfoot, buck or modern clogging.


Contact:                      warehambr@aol.com             704-366-3334 (Allen Cooke)                      
Venue Web-Site:         http://www.championzcheeranddance.com/
                                   


Please help me pass the word by forwarding this announcement to anyone you think may be interested!
Thank you!

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Skyline Cloggers steps drill

I have posted on You Tube a steps drill by the Skyline Cloggers, made back in 1981.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_dERe8Ub3A


We had a video recorder in practice one evening and filmed some routines and drilled on basic steps. Unfortunately much was taped over later. The only other thing left by the Skyline Cloggers is the Foggy Mountain Breakdown rehearsal that had the first quarter or so of the routine taped over. That has been on You Tube a good while. What taped over the practice session was video I made at Fontana in the spring of 1981 when I attended a Clog College. I filmed a good bit of the instruction and open dancing. When I am able to get it converted to digital, I will post it in excerpts on You Tube and mention it here. Among that video is footage of the Carolina Cutups when Burton Edwards introduced his "pitter patter" step. I think the clog college video has a lot of historical significance to anyone interested in seeing how clogging changed from the traditional style to the modern style.

My own style was influenced largely from two teams, the Avery County High School Cloggers, for their general style, and the Daniel Boone Cloggers, for their style and especially for their speed. Both of these teams are from the high mountain country of the Appalachian Mountains in northwestern North Carolina, an area largely settled by Scottish immigrants. I think the Scottish influence is present in the style of the teams from this area, particularly another team from the area called the Grandfather Mountain Cloggers. These three teams made up the nucleus of an awesome scene of clogging in the 1970s. I would say too, that my style was influenced by the Green Grass Cloggers, in that I liked their high stepping and kicks, as well as their choreography. Kay Wilkins, the director of the Avery County High School Cloggers, told me that she saw the Green Grass Cloggers and liked their high kicks too, and adapted some for her routines. Her style was less syncopated than those of the Green Grass Cloggers, and I pretty much followed the same style.

I have always been proud to tell people that early in my clogging career, up in Virginia at Ralph Stanley's bluegrass festival in Dickenson County while dancing around in the grass all weekend, an old-timer told me that I reminded him of the way some people danced many years before. This was many years ago, in 1977. So I never wanted to change my style of dance much.