A few Saturdays ago the girls had a clogging performance in an unlikely place-a ballroom. The place had chandeliers, glittering sconces, gilded mirrors-in other words it was decked out as any ballroom should be.
From the moment we arrived we felt sorta out of place-I'm still not sure if the performance was a success or not. More than one of us parents wondered who booked cloggers for the people who were there-I mean didn't they know what clogging was?
As we milled around uncomfortably before the show started-I had a thought that tickled my funny bone. We felt so out of place-like we'd been dropped in the middle of Los Angeles-or like the country bumpkins who'd went to the big city. But there we were right in our own home town-right smack dab in the middle of Appalachia where you're supposed to clog.
Tipper
Appalachia Through My Eyes - A series of photographs from my life in Southern Appalachia.
They must've been city slickers. How can you be from Appalachia and NOT know what clogging is? LOL
Posted by: Becky | March 02, 2012 at 09:02 AM
Tipper,
Maybe they's goin' turn that big ole ballroom into a dance studio...We got one of those here...They bought this old house,
It had a big ole ballroom in hit..and they'us just two of 'em..dance teacher from New York..They loved to dance and they just lined a wall with mirrors...and commenced to gatherin' youngn's that loved to tap...and there you are! I was always amazed that a house like that was around and not in "Gone With The Wind" in Atlanta...LOL
Oh, and special Ed...we got a bunch of them ballrooms with orange and white banners a'hangin' in Knoxville...LOL
My fa-vor-ite one is the one where'in the women bounce and dance around the floor with a big brown ball...
Hence...ballroom..LOL
Thanks Tipper,
I know those girls loved it and learning the history of it would be a nice thing...
Posted by: B. Ruth | February 27, 2012 at 11:41 AM
Ed-no they are not the same thing-but there are similarities between the 2.
Blind Pig The Acorn
Celebrating and Preserving the
Culture of Appalachia
www.blindpigandtheacorn.com
Posted by: Tipper | February 27, 2012 at 10:14 AM
My great aunt Stella used to buck dance. My daughter did some clogging when she attend Alarka Elementary School in the late 70's. They had the Alarka Cloggers back then. I don't know if they still do. The school's not there anymore. Is clogging and buck dancing the same thing?
Posted by: Ed Ammons | February 27, 2012 at 09:46 AM
Any one of the types of the "performing arts", including clogging require the same level of dedication, practice, and committment. Course its understandable that yall would feel out of place in that situation since its not the traditional arena, none-the-less I think it is kind of cool. It would have been interesting to observe expressions on the faces of the attendees! Even the more well to do folks need some culture! :o)
Posted by: Uncle Al | February 27, 2012 at 09:07 AM
If they didn't like it they sure got above their raisin'. I love Clogging and Bluegrass. My Dad would sometimes do a little dance to the breakfast table he called flatfootin'. I would just love to watch your girls some day.
Posted by: PinnacleCreek | February 27, 2012 at 08:53 AM
What a wonderful background, so formal, yet so 'Appalachain!' I think it was wonderful.
Great for the girls - a perfect picture for their scrapbook.
Posted by: dolores barton | February 27, 2012 at 08:43 AM
What's a ballroom? Now round here we got these big rooms with seats like stare steps that fold back aginst the wall. The youngins git out thare and play ball. Baskitball and sumpthin they call indoor socker and vollyball too. Ain't no mirers on the walls er no flashy lights er nuthin like that but thares big ole pichers painted on the walls. Wildcats and painters and wild horses and stuff like that. Sumtimes they set up a ring and have prefesionel (is that how you spel it) raslers come in an win back the belt. Sumtimes they put down pliwood on the flor and youngins git out thare and stomp to the musik and twirl around and stuff. Hit looks purty good and sounds good to. If that's what yer callin a ballroom we gotem everwher round here.
Posted by: Special Ed | February 27, 2012 at 08:35 AM
I'm sure there were folk's in the audience who secretly would have liked to join in!:)
Posted by: Cee | February 27, 2012 at 08:30 AM
Tipper, I couldn't find how to post this to you any other place, sorry but I thought you might enjoy this.
http://www.fark.com/vidplayer/6894821
Posted by: nancy | February 27, 2012 at 08:21 AM
Tipper: Guess you could hum that song about "I don't feel at home any more!" when you enter the fine ballroom setting - just to calm everyone's nerves! That floor probably had a thin layer of 'polish' on it which the maintenance folks can just 'put a shine on' again! Don't you worry!
Eva Nell
Posted by: Eva Nell Mull Wike, Ph.D. | February 27, 2012 at 07:38 AM
Everybody likes clogging, even those people! LOL
Posted by: Miss Cindy | February 27, 2012 at 07:36 AM
I can just see the expressions on your faces. But, what a perfect venue!
Posted by: Sheryl Paul | February 27, 2012 at 07:17 AM
forgot to say, our nursing home invited cloggers to the home for our residents. we pushed all the dining room tables back and they did a fantastic job. the next day the maintenance had a conniption fit because the vinyl tile that is on the floor had black scrape marks all over it. so now i am wondering what the ballroom floor was and how it came out after.
Posted by: sandra | February 27, 2012 at 06:52 AM
i would have felt the same way, i bet they were a big hit and i am sure rich folks know what clogging is since they live in clogging country.
Posted by: sandra | February 27, 2012 at 06:50 AM