Clogging language

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.

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.

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. 

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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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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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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?

 

Clogger's Dictionary: Duct tape (noun)

Today's dictionary entry describes an item found in the dance bags of cloggers everywhere: duct tape. A common synonym is duck tape.

Here's my formal definition:

Duct tape (noun): A common adhesive capable of keeping a clogger on his/her feet instead of the tush when a dance surface is not ideal.

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Clogger's Dictionary: Call it (verb)

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Let's add to our clogging vocabulary! Today's word is a verb, often uttered as a plea, common in clogging classes everywhere: call it. Synonym: cue it.

My official definition is as follows:

Call it (verb): The act of saying the next steps in a clogging routine aloud, generally about 2 beats before the step is to be performed, in order to allow cloggers in the process of learning said routine to get through the dance or a section of the dance for practice purposes.

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NaNoWriMo: Not yet a clogging step, but check back with me on December 1st!

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This week's post is about something different, but there IS a clogging tie-in, promise!

NaNoWriMo, short for National Novel Writing Month, takes place each November. The goal is to write a total of 50,000 words of your book in a month. (This may or may not actually complete a novel.)

Yours truly is giving it a go for the first time! I am not alone in this. At least one other clogger (Good luck to Kimberly in Dayton, Ohio!) is participating AND she's done it before.