Clogging steps are named after people, places, songs, and frequently, after animals. I happen to be hankering for a trip to the zoo, so here is a list of my top 10 animal steps:
10. Cow Tail
It can take time to learn to separate the movement and get a proper swing of the leg, but this step is fun and showy enough to be worth the effort. Bonus: It actually looks like a cow tail!
9. Donkey
Confession: I have NO clue what this step has to do with donkeys. However, the step looks great when performed with energy, and it's not even difficult!
8. Turkey
A step that brings smiles at my dance studio! We even held a turkey contest for Thanksgiving! Flap those wings!
7. Joey
Someone help me out - is this step named after a person or a baby kangaroo?
6. Walk The Dog
I understand the name on this one. (This dog apparently doesn't need to stop and smell everything along the way! Walking my father's dog doesn't go as smoothly as this step!)
5. Possum Trot
Just as a possum tries to trick you by playing dead, this step can trick cloggers into messing up, with those drags and slides that reverse at the end. Mastering the possum trot is an accomplishment for a clogger progressing to more complex steps.
4. Rooster Run
This makes my personal list of favorite clogging steps. A rooster run means wake up and move!
3. Camel Walk
After decades of clogging, I finally learned how to do this step about 2 years ago! My experience with the camel walk was limited to fun dances picked up from watching, so this step was never broken down. I developed my own fudged version, but it wasn't the real deal. A teammate finally taught it to the class, so my rendition of 500 Miles is more accurate these days!
2. High Horse
The name of this step makes sense to me - it matches the rhythm of a horse trotting. A very coordinated dancer horse!
1. Mountain Goat
To be as sure-footed as a mountain goat would be a strength for any clogger! Even though I lack the natural agility of this creature, I'm happy to see its namesake step on any cue sheet!
After composing this list, my inner crazy cat lady wants to know: WHERE are the cat steps in clogging?! We need to get on this, pronto! If you know of any cat-related clogging steps, please comment on this post or email me at sheilajospencer@gmail.com or tweet me @sheilajospencer. Thanks!
What other animal steps should be added to this list?
ADDENDUM:
Kay requested a video of the possum trot step. Here it is: