Where was I last Saturday night? At home, as ordered by the State of Ohio. What was I doing? Dancing with more than 1300 clogging friends at the first Worldwide Clogging Fun Dance!
And the real prize is time together: FFC Awards Banquet
As we continue “chugging” into a new year of clogging, Fancy Free took time to honor the accomplishments and special moments of 2019 with our annual awards banquet.
This event was once tied to the Christmas party, but has morphed into a celebration to look forward to after the holidays are done. Plus, it gives us an excuse to eat twice!
We gathered together in late January (minus a few out sick, because ‘tis the season) to carry on the tradition.
A clogger's day off.
Fa-BOO-lous weekend at FFC Clog Camp 2019! DAY TWO
Fa-BOO-lous weekend at FFC Clog Camp 2019! DAY ONE
Clog Camp 2019 at Fancy Free Studio has it all: Halloween theme, dance studio sleepover, toilet paper toss, team spirit, dance-off, and so much more.
This annual event is not what you might expect. We don’t spend the whole weekend dancing, and non-cloggers are heartily welcomed. It’s more of a team-building and bonding weekend, although previous years have included campers from Chillicothe Dance and the Riverside Cloggers.
Clogger shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo!
High energy and lowrider trucks: UCA's Shindig in the Valley 2019
Fancy Free Cloggers traveled to Maggie Valley, NC for our first competition of the year. Things have changed a bit since we last clogged at the Stompin’ Ground; Shindig in the Valley is now part of the United Clogging Association circuit. This means a different rule set, different group of competitors, and a new vibe.
Cabin Fever 2019: You'd better (ripple x 3) put on your cloggin' shoes!
Buckeye Country Cloggers know how to host a fun workshop AND pack it up into cute prize baskets! (More on that later.) I suspect they possess some ability to control weather, as their workshop weekend ushered in a welcome relief from sub-zero temps.
OFFICIAL COMPLAINT: If they control the weather with dance, the cue sheet is noticeably absent from my syllabus. Bummer!
Each time could be the last time. Clog accordingly.
Come out of your shell at Hoedown Island! (Part ONE)
Brave the heat and stay on beat at the county fair.
Cloggers and county fairs just go together! Somewhere between the pretty baby contests, the livestock exhibits, the booths of everything sugary and fried, we find a spot to plug in a sound system and dance. Why does it always have to be so HOT?!
Teams everywhere have been posting pictures and videos from their own fair shows. Y'all look great!
Cheering for the "enemy": a great day of dance at Dollywood Clogging Classic 2018!
Dollywood Clogging Classic 2018 was a big deal for Fancy Free Cloggers. Three team members danced in their first ever clogging competition, another teammate returned to competition after an absence of many years, and yet another teammate hit the competition stage again following an injury last year.
We brought with us a crowd of spectators unused to watching clogging competitions. Not just family of the new folks, mind you; the allure of Dollywood put more butts in the seats from families of our veteran cloggers as well.
Follow the butterfly road: a day to frolic at Dollywood Clogging Classic 2018!
Registration for the Dollywood Clogging Classic includes admission into the park for both Saturday and Sunday at a very reasonable price. Since Saturday competition was devoted to Amateur categories, Fancy Free Cloggers had a full day to roam the park!
One caveat: Laying out your tickets and then forgetting to grab them on the way out the door gets you a longer scenic drive. Ask Dustin about that, ha-ha!
Turn left after the 385th Cracker Barrel: journey to Dollywood Clogging Classic 2018!
The Dollywood Clogging Classic competition has a major advantage over many events because there is so much to do in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee! My carload also found plenty to do along the way.
The Mighty Cruze departed after Molly attended a meeting for her impending high school graduation. Seriously, Molly? Get your priorities straight! DOLLY is waiting.
Riverside Cloggers celebrate a decade of dance!
Ten years of clogging calls for a party! (And cake!) Riverside Cloggers of Point Pleasant, WV spent St. Patrick's Day celebrating their first decade as a team. The official anniversary was March 10, but most of the dancers were in Gatlinburg for Smoky Mountain Encore that weekend.
SAA-LUTE! Smoky Mountain Encore 2018
Road to the crown: Miss Southeastern Clogger Pageant (PART TWO)
Interested in trying a clogger pageant? Kaley Conn and Summer Hanson from Clogging Connection (Florida) share the preparation techniques that helped them win crowns at the Miss Southeastern Clogger Pageant.
Beauty and the beats: Miss Southeastern Clogger Pageant (PART ONE)
Anybody else clueless but curious about clogger pageants? I've seen ladies wearing crowns and sashes passing out awards at clogging competitions and that was pretty much the extent of my knowledge on this topic.
Enter Kaley Conn, who was recently crowned Overall Queen for ages 12+ in the Miss Southeastern Clogger Pageant. One of Kaley's first missions as Queen is to spread the word about this pageant after she and a younger teammate both had wonderful experiences with the event
TWO are knighted Clogger of the Year!
The audience doesn't know the half of it!
I feel sorry for the audience at big shows. Sure, they get to sit in comfy seats and get the best views of all the razzle dazzle, but they don't know the inside jokes that develop during rehearsal, the hustle and bustle of keeping performers and props where they need to be, the last-minute adjustments due to mistakes or malfunctions, or the goofy things we all do while waiting in the wings. The audience is missing out!