Appalachian Clogging
Appalachian
American step dancing probably has its origins in the
traditions which English, Irish and Scottish settlers took
with them, combined with the style and dance movements coming
from Africa with the slaves. The influence of some native
Indian steps made up a new dance form, variously called
hoofing, flatfooting or buck dancing. This American
'tradition' survived in the relatively isolated Appalachian
mountains. It was essentially a solo dance where movements
and rhythms would be made up on the spot to any available
(probably mostly 'Old Time') music.
Clogging
At the turn of the century American square dancing
was completely separate from flatfooting and from the 1920's
onwards Square Dance competitions were held in Asheville,
North Carolina. The Soco Gap Dancers won the competition in
1937 by freestyle flatfooting throughout their routine, then
a few years later they performed for the President and
friends, where the then Queen Elizabeth's remark that it was
'just like our British clog dancing' gave the dance form its
new name of 'Appalachian Clogging'.
Green Grass Style
When the Blue Ridge Mountain Dancers started doing
square dances where all the performers did the same steps
(sometime in the '50s) 'Precision Clogging' was born, then in
the early 1970's the Green Grass Cloggers gave it a boost by
adding new steps and movements - this is the dance style
which flourishes in England but since then Precision Clogging
in America has evolved to have its own characteristic style,
usually danced to modern (often recorded) music.
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