American clogging is a dance form that began in the Appalachian Mountains by the English, Irish and Welsh immigrants.  As with Old-Time music, these immigrants brought their country's traditional folk and step dances, which became combined in an impromptu foot-tapping style.  This was the beginning of American clog dancing as we know it today.  Accompanied by rousing fiddle and bluegrass music, clogging was a means of personal expression in a land of newfound freedoms.

 

 

Watch the short video below to see what American cloggin looks like.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How does American clogging differ from the traditional clogging of England, Ireland, and Wales?  Watch the short video clips of each type to see if you can determine differences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                  English Clogging                                                      Irish Clogging                                                  Welsh Clogging                                                        

 

 

• What differences did you see between each country's traditional clogging? 

• What similarities did you see? 

• How does the clogging of the three countries compare to American clogging?

 

 

 

 

Clogging and square dancing also share a lot of similarities.  While many folks use these terms interchangeably, there are distinct differences between the two. Square dancing is most often done by couples in groups of two or four, a caller tells the dances what steps to do, and the dances begin and end with each set of couples returning to a square formation.  Clogging can also be 'called'; however,  clogging oftentimes utilizes "flats" or taps affixed to the bottom of the shoe to produce complex rhythms within the footwork.  If flats are not used, then the dancers use harder soled shoes to create a sound, which can be helped by dancing on a wooden floor. 

 

 

Watch the video clips (both from the 1950s) and note the similarities between cloggin and square dancing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                Clogging                                                                             Square Dancing

 

 

• What similarities did you see between traditional clogging and square dancing? 

• What differences did you see? 

 

 

 

Sometimes clogging and square dancing are combined, as shown in the below video. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• What parts of clogging did the dancers use?

• What parts of square dancing did the dancers use? 

 

 

 

Today we will be learning the very basic steps of clogging, via a clogging expert. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                 Double Step & Rock Step                                            Stomp                                                           Brush Up

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                  Travel from Side to Side                         Shave and a Haircut; Hippity Hop                  Touch Heel; Outhouse; Donkey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                        Circle; Walk the Dog                                               Mini Routine

 

 

 

 

Let's practice the clogging steps with some bluegrass music. The audio clips below are of the same song but in different tempos.  Start slow and work your way up the the original.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While clogging traditionally uses fiddle or bluegrass music, today's cloggers are trying new things.  The video clip below is an example of how clogging can really be done to any type of music.