Clog Dance
Clog Dance
Where
Clog dancing developed into its most intricate form in the North of England, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Durham and the Lake District.
Clogs
English clogs are a shoe with a wooden sole (the bottom of the shoe) but a leather upper (top half). They were the regular, everyday footwear for the working people all over Britain until the 1920s. Because of the wooden sole they took longer to wear out than regular shoes and it was cheaper to replace the sole of the shoe with wood rather than leather. English dancing clogs are different to Dutch clogs or modern Crocs, they are tight and close fitting which allows the dancer a lot of control over the movements of their feet. English clogs with an iron or rubber protective layer on the sole are also worn for Northwest morris.
Clog dancing is a form of step dance. The best known kinds of step dance are tap and Irish dance. The main focus and skill of a step dancer is in their footwork and dancers can create many different types of noises using their feet alone.
Context
Clog dancing was often performed very casually, people would dance at home, in the pubs or in the street. Pat Tracey (1959) wrote this wonderful description of the everyday-but-smart clothing worn by clog dancers performing in the street in the early 20th century;
“For their performance the dancers usually wore their normal working clothes – brown fustian trousers, striped shirt with red muffler knotted round the neck, navy blue jacket and soft cap. They danced in their everyday clogs though these were usually somewhat lighter in weight than those worn by the majority of weavers...the street dancers normally belonged to a set of rather dandified working youths and the lighter clog was part of their accepted dress.”
In the 1800s clog dancing competitions became popular. Large amounts of money could be won or lost on the clog competitions which were seen as a type of sport. Like modern day jockeys dancers would perform in colours which would have made them easy to identify. Both men and women danced in breeches which would have allowed their leg movements to be seen. Clog dancing was also performed on the stage. In the Victorian period clog dancing was a popular act in music hall or variety shows, which were the predecessor to Britain’s Got Talent. Often people would wear special themed costumes as part of their act. The famous comedian Charlie Chaplin started his career in music hall as a clog dancer. Over time clogs fell out of favour and were replaced with lighter tap shoes.
Clog dancers today wear a mixture of costumes inspired by the Victorian and Edwardian clothing of the northern workers who would have clogged danced in the past. Dancers also wear contemporary clothing and fashion, often using items which can be purchased from high street shops. Some have specially made costumes, often with a waistcoat or bodice which is worn with a long skirt.
Key words
Bodice, breeches, competitions, footwork, music hall, sole, step dance, themed, upper, variety shows, waistcoat.
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