Move over, groundhog - the cloggers are taking this day! I declare February 2 to be
Double Double Day!
Cloggers, you are all invited to post a video of your favorite double double step variation!
A clogger's book review: The Tumbling Turner Sisters
This historical fiction isn't about clogging, but cloggers make a brief appearance in chapter twelve. Spoiler alert: These particular cloggers aren't so good...
The Tumbling Turner Sisters by Juliette Fay caught my eye during a wander through the "New Arrivals" bookcase at my local library. I'm glad it did!
National Popcorn Day, clogger style!
There seems to be a "National Day" for everything! Normally, I don't care (unless it relates to cats or to me having an excuse for a good dinner...). However, when the National _____ Day unintentionally refers to a clogging step, I'm on board!
TODAY, January 19, is National Popcorn Day! If you know the popcorn step, feel free to randomly display 8 counts of fun throughout the day! If you don't know the popcorn step, what better day to learn?!
Clogger's Dictionary: Team spirit (noun)
Everybody is familiar with today's vocabulary term: team spirit! It's not all hootin' and hollerin' and wearing a funny hat. Some aspects of team spirit require more work than that.
A basic definition:
Team spirit (noun): Feelings of cooperation, respect, and/or friendship which allow group members to work together for the greater good of the team as opposed to the good of any individual member. Group members who possess a great deal of team spirit are known as team players, and these folks are critical to the success of a clogging team. Indirect team members, such as fans and family, can also have team spirit.
New year, new clogging goals!
Happy new year, cloggers! While it is appropriate to take stock of where you are and where you want to be all year long, the new year just begs for a little self-reflection. When my clogging team returned to classes on Tuesday after a holiday break, many teammates were willing to share their clogging goals for 2017. (Thanks!)
If you are still determining goals for the new year, you may find some inspiration here!
Twelve days of clogging!
Team clogging awards!
Does your clogging team do awards? Fancy Free Cloggers had our Christmas party/awards banquet this week! The banquet is a lovely time to look back on the year and appreciate the progress and contributions of each team member.
Every Fancy Free Clogger receives a medal and is recognized for something special he/she brought to the team during the previous year. We also give special awards which vary from year to year, depending on the circumstances. Everyone, however, waits anxiously to see who will win the two highest honors: the Larry Pummel Award and Clogger of the Year!
Christmas party game for cloggers! Silly ad-libs!
Today's post is inspired by the latest issue of Double Toe Times, the clogging magazine. (If you don't already subscribe, click HERE to fix that.) The article on pages 18-22 suggests a whole list of clogging party games and activities, including clogging ad-lib word games.
Word games AND clogging?! I am IN!!! Here are a few just in time for everybody's clogging team parties! Print these out and create a unique story with your fellow dancers!
For those of you who aren't familiar, the game leader asks one person (or the group as a whole) for words to fill in the blanks in a story. The story, which usually makes no sense, is then read aloud. The reader is encouraged to be as dramatic as he/she wishes!
1. You'll Never Dance In This Town Again
We thought it would be a great holiday experience. The mayor asked us to clog at __________(local Christmas event) and we __________(verb ending in -ed) at the chance!
Clogger's Dictionary: Christmas show (noun)
It's that time of year! Seems like every clogging team is part of a local holiday show or parade, or maybe they're putting on a show of their own. Our clogging vocabulary lesson this week examines the Christmas show!
Christmas show (noun): A dance performance which generally occurs sometime late November through December 25th, designed to not only bring the normal level of clogging joy, but to also get folks into the Christmas spirit! This may be exclusively a clogging show, or perhaps the dancers are part of a larger cast with singers, musicians, actors, etc.
Adventures in clogging: lighted Christmas parade!
The holiday season is in full swing, which means plenty of performance opportunities for cloggers! The latest for Fancy Free Cloggers was the Hometown Holidazzle lighted parade in Wilmington, Ohio!
First, the name "Hometown Holidazzle" is adorable and fun to say! Second, the town goes all out for this event!
I wish I had a photo of the parade grandstand, but couldn't get one since I was IN the parade! It was shining and flashing like Vegas! Way to go, Wilmington!
So many reasons for a clogger to be thankful!
The clogging team that stays together, um, stays together...
On a recent trip to Chicago, my clogging team tried something new for accommodations: Airbnb!
We normally do the hotel thing, sharing rooms to cut down on cost. That works fine, but we aren't all together, we're usually cramped in a small room, etc.
During the planning process for this trip, one of my teammates spoke up about her experience with Airbnb. She offered to research options through that service.
Five clogging steps that feel WRONG on the right foot.
Why is it that certain clogging steps NEVER start on the right foot? It isn't a matter of difficulty; advanced cloggers are expected to perform pullbacks bilaterally, but most will hesitate when asked to perform these easier steps on the opposite foot!
Next dance class, challenge your teammates to give these steps a try on the right:
Clogger's Dictionary: Ripple (noun)
Today's vocabulary word is an element seen in many clogging routines: the ripple! Synonyms are not frequently used in this context, but could include a wave or a progressive movement.
Here's my official definition:
Ripple (noun): A movement performed by different dancers at different times to add visual and/or auditory interest to a routine.
Clogging for a cause: Diabetes Dance Dare!
Have you heard about the Diabetes Dance Dare? If not, let's get you caught up - it is all the rage with cloggers who want to support a good cause!
According to the American Diabetes Association, someone in the United States is diagnosed with diabetes every 23 seconds. The dare is to post a video of yourself dancing for 23 seconds, make a donation to the association, and challenge 3 others to do the same.
Celebrities such as Shaq and Usher have created videos in support of the campaign, but I honestly never heard of this challenge until Kay Trimm and the Clog Wild Cloggers posted a video and challenged fellow cloggers to support the cause!
Clogging Competition BINGO!
The girl with the clogging tattoo: Erica
How much do you love clogging? Enough to get a clogging tattoo? For Erica Haning, director of the Riverside Cloggers, the answer is YES!
This is Erica's second tattoo. Her brother previously worked in a tattoo shop, and he applied her first ink. She was so pleased with his work, she enlisted his services once again during a recent visit to his home in Florida.
Bad Moon Rising - national dance list/fun dance challenge update
Clogger's Dictionary: Sweat towel (noun)
Favorite quirky place to clog: Mothman Festival!
While I enjoy clogging at fall festivals in general, I have a special love of the quirky ones. The kind where people watching is every bit as fun as the sanctioned events. Mothman Festival in West Virginia tops my list!
This show isn't even my team's gig; Riverside Cloggers (our "sister team") hails from Point Pleasant, and they always invite Fancy Free Cloggers to join one of their performances. Please keep inviting us!