NORTH
CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
WHAT IS CLOGGING?
Clogging
developed from aspects of English, Irish, German, and Cherokee step dances, as
well as African rhythms and movement. It was from clogging that tap dance
eventually evolved. Now, many clogging teams compete against other teams for
prizes such as money and trophies.
The clogging competition in which many groups participate is located in
Maggie Valley, NC, also known as the Clogging Capital of the World. Traditional
Appalachian clogging is characterized by loose, often bent knees and a
"drag-slide" motion of the foot across the floor, and is usually
performed to old-time music.
Modern
competitive clogging, also called precision clogging is inspired by traditional
styles but performed to a wide variety of music, including bluegrass, modern
country, rock music, pop, and hip hop. Today competitive precision clogging has
several sanctioning bodies that oversee competitions held throughout the United
States, with the majority located in the southeastern states. Also the style
has evolved from flat foot to dancing on the balls of the feet. Toe stands are
a recent adaptation from other dance forms. These high-energy styles have
opened the forum to a wide audience. Many people say, “Isn’t
clogging just like tap dancing?” The answer is no. Not only do tap and
clogging hit on different beats of music and utilize different techniques, but
the shoes are also different. Clogging shoes generally have taps that are
double taps or "jingle taps". This makes it so there are four taps on
each shoe – two on the toe, and two on the heel. One is securely fastened
to the shoe, while the other is more loosely fastened and hits both the floor
and the fastened tap while dancing or simply walking about.
Clogging
is the official state folk dance of North Carolina and Kentucky.