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Five clogging competition truths.

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My team attended Shindig In The Valley clogging competition last weekend. In addition to some awards and great memories, I walked away with a few observations:

1. NO NEED TO WORRY ABOUT FINDING BOBBY PINS/SAFETY PINS. THEY ARE ALL OVER THE DRESSING ROOM FLOOR!

I am the person on my team who packs EVERYTHING in her clogging bag. Need duct tape, shoe polish, band-aids, a granola bar? Sure, it's in there! However, once each team cycled through a costume change, it was unnecessary to dig in the bag. The carpet was covered in discarded bobby pins and safety pins! 

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When clogging taps break, who gets you back on the dance floor?

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It happened to me at a recent performance: broken tap! In this case, a teammate who serves as our shoe repair person replaced it before I went home. Look at that shiny, unscratched toe tap! (Thanks, Bob!)

Bob took it upon himself to learn the task years ago when his son broke a tap shortly before going onstage to compete. There was no shoe vendor at this particular competition. 

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Clogger's Dictionary: Nursing home show (noun)

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Today's clogging vocabulary lesson involves a type of performance almost every team does: the nursing home show.

Get ready to move tables and clear some space in the facility dining room!

Here's my formal definition:

Nursing home show (noun): A clogging performance where the dancers bring entertainment to an audience who may not be able to get out to attend other events. Synonyms include retirement home show, rest home show, etc.

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National dance list/fun dance challenge!

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When you attend a clogging event, how many fun dance routines do you know by heart?  (I mean REALLY know, without back-rowing it.) Twelve percent? Fifty percent? 

If you're Nelson at the World of Clogging workshop fun dance, that number must be close to ninety-eight percent! 

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The feet are willing, but the brain is full...

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Face it: there is a limit to how many clogging steps/routines a person can absorb at once.

I find this fact to be particularly annoying during workshops. "Afternoon fog" is a term bandied about to describe the phenomenon. Basically, your mental fatigue and physical fatigue combine to make a step sequence or entire routine WAY more difficult than it would normally be. 

Clogging shoe care: A review of Tarrago Shoe Cream

Dirt and scuffs and stains, oh my! Between dance classes and shows, those clogging shoes quickly lose their shine and become less than show-worthy (Not sure that's really a word, but you know what it means.).

Lately, my shoe polish hasn't been cutting it, and I've started a search to find the best products to keep my clogging shoes looking good.

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Clogger's Dictionary: Step notation (noun)

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How does a clogger explain a step without video or demonstration? Step notation! A common synonym is step breakdown.

Here's my official definition: 

Step notation (noun): A written method of describing clogging steps, so that a dancer can learn the step from scratch or recall the step later.

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How do cloggers refill the tank? Five tips...

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We’ve all been there: Practice is not even close to over. There are still 5 more songs to go in the show. Sweat drips down your forehead into your eyeballs. You are drained.

How does a clogger keep up the energy and get it done?

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Have you complimented a clogger today?

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Have you attended a well-run dance class or workshop lately? Watched a clogger nail a routine in competition or a demo? Is a dancer on your team working hard and progressing quickly from beginner to intermediate level? Did someone bring tasty snacks (no bake cookies, perhaps) to clogging class?

 

Clogging Book Review: Alfred the Possum On the Road with the Green Grass Cloggers

The world can certainly use more clogging books. This one throws in a pair of pet possums - what's not to love?!

Alfred the Possum: On the Road with the Green Grass Cloggers was written by Leanne E. Smith and illustrated by Madalyn McLeod. It is available in paperback, and was published in 2015.