Dancers join Appalachian clogging kin
A group of Nelson tap aficionados hope some new members will get their clog on to grow the popularity of an eastern USA folk dance form.
The first evening of a six-week course in Appalachian tap - or clogging - took place on Tuesday, with five new dancers showing up on the first night to learn the art.
Dancers travelled from as far as Richmond and Motueka to participate in the hour-long classes, with the sound of tap shoes in unison ringing out like a freight train over tracks.
Appalachian Clogging is a type of folk dance in which the dancer’s footwear is used percussively by striking the heel, the toe, or both against a floor or each other to create audible rhythms, usually to the downbeat with the heel keeping the rhythm.
While there is a large contingent of clubs throughout Australia, and dedicated schools in the United States, in New Zealand only Auckland and Nelson have current pockets of cloggers.
It had been in Nelson since the mid 1980s, with instructor Georgie Higgs catching the bug after attending a squared dancing convention in 1984.
‘‘There were a couple of people there doing a one-off demo just to introduce it to people, and as soon as I saw it I couldn’t stop my little feet from tapping.’’
However, it was not until or five years later while doing line dancing that a colleague, Sue Wilson, suggested that Appalachian tap might be worth learning
‘‘I said if you start it up here, I’ll be coming.’’
While Wilson has moved on since then, Higgs has stepped up since then to lead the local chapter, supported these days by fellow teacher Nicole McHaffie and Higgs’ daughter Alyna.
She said the biggest misconception of the activity lay in its name.
‘‘We’re not wearing clogs and it has nothing to do with Holland - the term is gaelic for keeping time - it’s a very rhythmic type of dance,’’ she said.
Like conventional tap dancing, dancers wear shoes with metal plates on the underside.
‘‘They actually make quite a lot of noise - but they are quite different movements from american tap.’’
Higgs said the local contingent had been small for a number of years, but recently the decision had been made to grow the group by offering beginners courses.
Those looking to get involved can expect to learnt the basic steps of clogging, which would hopefully help them to advance.
‘‘People pretty much turn up with nothing, but by the end of the first class I’ve got them doing something and within six weeks they’re sort of integrating into the next group,’’Higgs said.
‘‘The main focus is come along and have fun and laugh at yourself – nothing else is important, doesn’t matter if you can’t do it right.’’
Classes are held at the Auckland Point School hall, Haven Rd, each Tuesday starting at 6pm. Cost is $40 for the entire course.