By Brittany Everett and Caitlin Gregory

     Clogging originally began in England in the 18th century during the Industrial Revolution. According to the book “Appalachian Dance: Creativity and Continuity in Six Communities” factory workers would clog during their breaks and judge each other based on the best rhythm.

     Eventually, this time-passing dance turned into a larger scene and competitions were held to judge clogging on a larger scale.

     According to an article written by Ruth Pershing, clogging is associated with bluegrass music in the United States, which is based on Irish and Scots-Irish fiddle tunes. Clogging was developed from aspects of English, Irish, German and Cherokee step dances along with African rhythms and movement.

     Pershing also details how buck dancing is similar to clogging but there are some differences. Buck dancing combined the basic shuffle and tap steps performed to syncopated rhythms and accents were placed on the downbeat or offbeat.

     This is different from clogging and other similar dances because the accents in these dances are placed on the straight beat. Traditional Appalachian clogging is defined by loose, often bent knees and a drag slide motion of the foot across the floor. Usually older music accompanies the dance.

     Phil Jamison is a clogger from Western North Carolina. Jamison branched into clogging in 1970 and eventually joined the Green Grass Cloggers, a clogging team based in Asheville, in 1980 and traveled all around the world for his performances.  

     Jamison is author of the book, “Hoedowns, Reels and Frolics: Roots and Branches of Southern Appalachian Dance” which discusses the development of folk dances.

     “Clogging is a more modern form of step dance than what I think of as buck dance and flat footing,” Jamison said. “Those are more social dances, music’s playing and you do something with your feet to the music and they aren’t necessarily for performance.”

     In the 20th century when people started to put these dances on stage in performances, then that’s when it really began to develop into clogging.  This included the addition of jingle taps to the bottom of the clog shoe to ensure that the audience could hear the sounds over the music.

     “If you’re just dancing by yourself or socially, you don’t really need taps but whenever you start performing, you do need taps to make more noise,” Jamison said. “I don’t generally wear taps, I have when I danced with a clogging team to make more noise, but not socially.”

     Jamison said that buck dancing and flat footing, which eventually led to clogging, is traditionally a way to bring people together.

     “It’s a way of bringing people together,” Jamison said. “These dances have reflected the multiracial history of this nation and they reflect the melting pot of this community.

     Ashley Cook is the owner of Appalachian Rhythm and has been clogging since the age of four. Cook graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in Communications and a minor in Dance.

     Cook has clogged all over the country including Las Vegas, Florida and Hawaii. Cook is also a Certified Clogging Instructor through the National Clogging Hall of Fame. Cook’s seven-year-old daughter also dances at the studio with her.  

     Cook does think that clogging is an integral part of the Appalachian community because of the location in the mountains.

     “It’s great for festivals around here because clogging kind of originated from flat footing and square dancing and so those influences play to clogging,” Cook said. “The people around here just love it.”

     Cook loves teaching students at her studio and enjoys seeing the dancers get excited about learning new steps.

     “It’s very rewarding,” Cook said. “It teaches them a lot about where we come from and our heritage here in Watauga County.

     Appalachian Rhythm teaches different styles of clogging including traditional formation clogging, traditional line clogging, acapella clogging and some of her clogging routines incorporate hip hop.

     “I think it’s important to understand where clogging began and the roots,” Cook said. “But I also think it’s important to see where clogging is going now especially mainstream.”

     Cook said that a lot of cloggers are moving towards incorporating hip hop and newer music to continue being attractive to newer generations. Cook notices at dance competitions that a lot of groups are moving in this direction and she said she’s excited to see where it goes.

     “It’s good for them to understand the past but be in the present too,” Cook said.

Click on the Link below to view North Carolina Senate Bill 128, which declares that clogging is the state’s official folk dance.

https://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/SessionLaws/PDF/2005-2006/SL2005-218.pdf

     Whitney Goddard is a student at Appalachian Rhythm and has been with the studio for six years. Her dancing career all started when she went to go sign her daughter up and learned about the adult class that was offered on the same night.

     “I gave it a try and have been there since,” Goddard said. “It’s a great way to exercise and I’ve gotten to know all the ladies I clog with other the years I’ve been there, so it makes each class fun.”

     Goddard grew up taking ballet and tap so dancing was always something she loved to do and said she didn’t realize how much she missed it until she started back.

     “I think clogging is more fun than other dances because it’s typically at a much faster pace and has a very distinct sound,” Goddard said. “My favorite thing about clogging is being with the other ladies and competing in competitions.”

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Source List 

Primary Sources: 

1. John Turner- Interviewed on Nov. 30, 2018.
2. Phil Jamison- Interviewed on Dec. 5, 2018.
3. Ashley Cook- Interviewed on Dec. 3, 2018.
4. Whitney Goddard – Interviewed on Dec. 5, 2018

Other Sources: 

1. https://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/SessionLaws/PDF/2005-2006/SL2005-218.pdf
2. Jamison, Phil. Hoedowns, Reels, and Frolics: Roots and Branches of Southern Appalachian Dance. University of Illinois Press, 2015.
3.  Spalding, Susan Eike. Appalachian Dance: Creativity and Continuity in Six Communities. University of Illinois Press, 2014.
4. Pershing, Ruth. “History of Clogging.” What Is Clogging?, websites.iclog.us/History_of_Clogging.html.