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The Clogging Shoe

February 26, 2013 by 4dancers

A clogging shoe
Clogging Shoe, Photo by Dorothy Stephenson

by Dorothy Stephenson

Known as the “melting pot of dances,” Clogging came about when the nation’s Irish, Scottish, English, and Dutch-German ancestors settled in the mountains of Appalachia on the east coast of the United States. As different cultures came together, their native dances began to intertwine signaling the birth of Clogging, an old dance form that continues to grow, evolve, and become more popular everyday. As clogging spread through the nation, other influences, such as Cherokee Indian, African, and Russian, contributed to the newly formed dance style.

I have been Clogging for twenty-three years. Ten years ago, when telling someone I was a “Clogger,” I would have to explain myself and how “Yes, Clogging is similar to what Fred Astaire did,” but “No, it’s not what Michael Flatley does.”  Nowadays, when I vocally label myself as a “Clogger,” I usually get a “Wow! I love Clogging!” This dance form has appeared on stages as simple as county fairs all the way up to national television on shows like “So You Think You Can Dance,” “America’s Got Talent,” and “America’s Best Dance Crew.” And the tool that each clogger needs? Their shoes, of course!

Just like Clogging, Clogging shoes have evolved and changed since the dance form’s predecessors began in places like Wales with wooden clogs and Ireland with hard shoes. In the 15th century, dancers replaced the original wooden clog with a leather-topped shoe that had a full wooden sole. By the 16th century, dancers added separate wooden pieces on the heel and toe of the shoe.

These pieces, also called “flats,” are where the term “flatfooting” came from. Flatfooting, an ancestor of today’s American Clogging, is still practiced and respected in the clogging world today. In fact, Clogging competitions have a special solo category devoted specifically to flatfooting, and Cloggers of all ages will gladly clear the dance floor to marvel at dance patriarchs who will shake the dust off of their old flats to perform one more time.

Throughout Clogging’s evolution, dancers added another important element to their shoes – taps. Two “jingle” taps (also known as Steven Stompers) are attached to each shoe – one tap on the heel and one tap on the toe. With a flat stationary tap directly attached to the shoe, a dangling or “jingle” tap hangs slightly from the stationary tap to create a double tap that makes the signature clogging sound, which features just a little more sound than tap shoes.

Regular taps cover only the bottom of the shoe while buck taps have a small metal lip that bends over the toe. Where the regular tap didn’t make sound when a dancer stuck their toe, the buck toe creates sound and provides further support if contemporary dancers are executing toe stands. Present-day clogging shoes are usually black and white though some teams will occasionally branch out taking the stage with silver, red, or other colored shoes.

clogging shoe with taps
Full Sole Clogging Shoes, Photo by Dorothy Stephenson

When original Appalachian Clogging began, it was an individual form of dance where the dancer used their feet to turn out rhythmic percussive sounds to accompany music that was most likely bluegrass. Today, more complicated steps and more influences of different dances, such as hip hop and pointe, have dribbled into Clogging and have further urged the evolution of Clogging shoes. With steps, such as toe stands (where Cloggers balance on their toes), increasingly complicated choreography is made easier with a more flexible shoe. Clogging shoes with split-soles have emerged. Some feature a full sole with a soft leather upper, such as the Director’s Cut shoe, while others, such as Signatures Split Soles, have a complete split sole with hard leather on the toe and ball of the foot and the traditional heel block. There is no sole to support the arch of the foot, only leather.

Clogging shoes, split sole
Example Of Split Sole Clogging Shoes, Photo by Dorothy Stephenson

As more intricate steps developed, the full sole shoe restricted the movement of a dancer’s toes making it difficult and sometimes impossible to execute new steps. Split-sole shoes make it much easier for a dancer to bend their foot to achieve optimum sound and execute toe work.

Whether it was in the 15th century or the 21st century, Clogging shoes have always been used the same way – by striking the heel, the toe, or both against the floor to create rhythmic sounds usually to the downbeat of the music. If you haven’t seen Clogging, check it out. It is truly a dance form that has something for every personality – young, old, city, country, traditional, contemporary – and Clogging choreography can accompany a wide variety of music ranging from country and bluegrass to 1940’s swing and big band to jazz, hip hop, and even rap. The sky is the limit.

Want to see some cloggers in action? Here’s a video of Rhythmic Alliance competing with their Line Formations routine:

sundance studios director
Dorothy Stephenson, Photo by Kathy Cobb Photography

Dorothy Stephenson began her clogging career in 1990 when her mother enrolled her with the Little Switzerland Cloggers. Today, she leads Little Switzerland along with two other groups – Rhythmic Alliance, a competitive team, and Sundance Express, a professional performance troupe.

She also owns Sundance Studios & Productions Company, a dance studio and productions company specializing in clogging instruction and performance.

Filed Under: Other Footwear Tagged With: america's best dance crew, america's got talent, clogger, clogging, clogging shoes, dance form, dance shoes, fred astaire, So You Think You Can Dance, sundance studios

DVD Review: Dance Crazy In Hollywood

February 6, 2013 by 4dancers

by Emily Kate Long

Dance Crazy in Hollywood, directed by Robert Kuperberg, is a discussion with film choreographer Hermes Pan about his work with dance legends like Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, and Cyd Charisse. The film runs just under an hour, and the companion booklet is indispensable, providing biographical information not discussed in the interviews.

The film opens with Hermes Pan describing the beginning of his dance career as being kicked out of school for dancing on the desks and tables. He and his sister supported themselves by dancing and singing as they traveled from New York City to California in the 1920s, and in 1933 Pan met Astaire and began a career-shaping partnership.

Rather than focusing in the development of a distinct choreographic style, Pan let the qualities of the dancers and films shine through. The construction of this documentary echoes that; here, the true highlights are the clips of dance sequences from films like Cleopatra, Kiss Me Kate, Silk Stockings, and Meet Me in Las Vegas.

The composition of this film lacks homogeneity and smoothness, with little flow between dance clips, interviews, and wobbly aerial shots of Los Angeles. However, the information contained herein is a valuable piece of times past—dance doesn’t get much more stylish than Old Hollywood!

Filed Under: DVDs, Reviews Tagged With: dance crazy in hollywood, dance dvd, fred astaire, hermes pan

Pas de Trois: Who Is Your Favorite Dancer?

August 23, 2010 by 4dancers

This post is part of a larger project–

David Hunter from Ballet for Men and Henrik Lamark from Tights and Tiaras are joining me in a venture called Pas de Trois. On that site we will be posting a question each week, which we will then each answer on our blogs–a few days apart. We’d like to encourage members of the dance community (as well as those just interested in dance) to join us in these discussions by leaving a comment with their ideas either on the blog or on Pas de Trois.

This week, for our first question we decided to share our favorite dancer…

Suzanne Farrell

When I think of the word “ballerina” there is one image that immediately comes to mind: Suzanne Farrell. Growing up when I did, she was the most inspiring figure in classical ballet to me. Never had I seen someone so fragile looking that was so strong and beautiful.

It can be difficult to say who your favorite dancer is. There are many people who influenced me, or impacted me in one way or another. Gelsey Kirkland was a little whirlwind with boundless energy and a sprightly presence. Mikhail Baryshnikov blew me away with his sheer power and Fred Astaire had a simple grace that is unmatched, even today. Yet you do tend to gravitate toward someone in particular, and for me, it was Suzanne.

I can recall feeling mesmerized when I watched her dance. She seemed as though she were in a trance–that the music just took her and posessed her, making her move at its will. All arms and legs, she was tall, willowy and to me–the perfect vision of a ballerina.

Share your favorite dancer with us on Pas de Trois at dancing3.com.

Interested in learning more about Suzanne Farrell? Read this wonderful interview on Academy of Achievement.

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Filed Under: 4dancers, 4teachers, Editorial, Pas de Trois Tagged With: Ballet, fred astaire, gelsey kirkland, mikhail baryshnikov, Pas de Trois, suzanne farrell

National Museum Of Dance

January 7, 2010 by 4dancers

The National Museum of Dance opened in 1986 in Saratoga Springs, New York. Here you will find things such as videos, photographs, costumes–as well as a “Hall of Fame,” which is the only permanent exhibit at the facility. In the hall, you will find names such as Fred Astaire, Paul Taylor and George Balanchine. Bob Fosse and Bill T. Jones were some of the more recent additions to the 36 members who are honored there.

 

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Filed Under: Dance History, Organizations Tagged With: bob fosse, fred astaire, george balanchine, national museum of dance, paul taylor

10 Questions With…Nichelle Strzepek

January 3, 2010 by 4dancers

Welcome back to our new feature…10 Questions With…

This week we have some time with Nichelle Strzepek, Owner/Editor of Dance Advantage, a wonderful dance resource on the web…enjoy!

Intro:  I am Nichelle Strzepek. No one ever has a clue how to pronounce that Polish last name! I say it as if the ‘z’ were silent – Streh-peck. I won’t attempt the Polish pronunciation.

I am the writer/editor at Dance Advantage and a full-time mom to a busy and beautiful 2-year-old boy. Before that, I worked as a dancer and dance teacher. I’ve taught consistently since I was a teenager so I have about 17 years of teaching experience in studios, community programs, at a university. Plus, some years of assisting before that. My degree is in dance and I’ve dabbled in professional performance with modern dance companies here in Houston and “back home” in Pennsylvania.

1. What made you create this dance blog? 

Dance Advantage really grew out of the experiences I had as a teacher, feeling as though there was just never enough time to say or express all I wanted my students to learn in the limited time I had with them each week. Also, in the early part of the last decade (getting used to thinking of the 2000’s that way), I was a young teacher, using the internet to get ideas and look for resources, and was coming up with little. I actually began thinking about a site then, had the name and everything! I was just too busy teaching to do much with it. When I had my son in 2007, I began using a blog to update family and learn from and connect with other parents, I saw an opportunity. I had decided to stay-at-home with my son so, while I won’t say I had the time, I was at home, near a computer, and could devote some energy.

2. What are the top three pieces of advice you have for other dance bloggers? 

Do some research. Work and plan ahead of yourself. Be yourself. When I started, I did do a bit of research (enough to know that WordPress was a preferred platform for publishing and that self-hosting sounded scary)! It was good that I had done a lot of thinking about the material I wanted to share, it helped shape the focus of the blog. What I didn’t do is write and plan before getting started. I just jumped in with both feet and, looking back, I wish I had gotten a head start before ever publishing a word. As for being yourself, the blogosphere is a busy and talkative place. Share who you are and what you are passionate about because that’s what will make your blog special.

3. What is your organizational routine when it comes to blogging (for example, do you research one day and write the next….do you post every day…etc.)?

Ha ha! Organizing has been the toughest part of all this for me. I’ve been learning to be a mother and a blogger at the same time. Plus early on, my writing got noticed and I was encouraged to cover dance happening in Houston as a critic, and I still wanted to dance! Last year I was mad enough to do all those things on top of everything else.

I’ve always been so structured in my teaching – planning classes, designing curriculum for the year. Sometimes my perfectionism gets in the way of true organization but I’ve always been very methodical. Organization is a different game when you have a child. I’m not sure I’ve settled into a blogging routine as much as I have worked around my routine with the kiddo. I generally research a post over time. Some require more research than others so I intersperse these with the ones that are easier to write from the top of my head. I generally post 3-4 articles a week, though, I’ve had to be satisfied with some flexibility and forgiveness of myself when I just can’t get it done.

4. What would you say are your blog’s strengths?

The blog is really an extension of myself and my interests. I’ve never been good at talking about my own strengths (that was always the interview question I hated!) so this is a hard question for me. I feel Dance Advantage succeeds in providing a high-quality reference that continues to grow in scope. I pour much of what I learned in college and plenty of research into the blog. I also feel that while it has a wide audience (students, teachers, and parents) that it is very focused on the community that surrounds dance education.

5. Do you have anything new coming up on the horizon?

Newest this year has been adding a professionally rendered logo and re-working the site to match. I’m also working to step up the newsletter content that I provide to people who invite Dance Advantage into their inbox. In addition, readers will be hearing from some “columnists.” These are folks that I’ve come to really respect as I’ve navigated the online dance world and I am so happy to add their voices to the blog on a regular basis.

6. If you had to describe your blog in just five words, what would they be?

Thorough. Fieldguide. Constructive. Convenient. Wholehearted.

7. Can you recommend another dance blog?

There are so many different kinds of dance blogs! There is a new crop of blogs focused on dance training. I am excited about 4dancers as well as move.create.educate but, an instructional blog of which I’ve been a fan for some time is Deborah Vogel’s The Body Series blog, which was formerly the Dancing Smart newsletter. For performance recaps, reviews, and even updates on SYTYCD, I enjoy Tonya Plank’s Swan Lake Samba Girl.

8. Who are your all-time favorite dancers?

Coming from contemporary dance, I don’t know that I hold that same kind of reverence for individual dancers as one who comes from the ballet world might. I enjoy strong ensemble dancing that makes me think and feel. With that said, my all-time favorites reveal my love of theatrical dancing and musicals – I find I always stop what I’m doing when Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, and Ann Miller (both ladies Texas natives, I might add), come on the screen.

9. What is your favorite piece of music?

The music I listen to is often different from the music I dance to. Classically, Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata Adagio never fails to take my breath away. It’s wonderfully melancholy and dramatic, gorgeous and tender. A more modern all-time favorite is Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve. Surprisingly, not a U2 song though it shares that big, expansive sound I love (if you get to know me you’ll know I’m a shameless U2 fan).

10. Tell us something about yourself that may come as a surprise…

People might be surprised that I never aspired to be a writer. I had many friends growing up that wanted to be journalists or novelists. I enjoyed writing in school and tried pouring out my heart in poetry as a teenager. I had a college professor in dance who emphasized repeatedly that my written work was strong and suited for graduate work. But I planned to dance and teach. I never really saw myself pursuing any kind of writing career until I started writing Dance Advantage.

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Filed Under: 10 Questions With..., 4dancers, Online Dance Resources Tagged With: ann miller, beethoven, cyd charisse, dance advantage, dance blog, dance blogs, deborah vogel, fred astaire, gene kelly, moonlight sonata, move.create.educate, nichelle strzepek, swan lake samba girl, the body series, tonya plank, u2

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