Who is Brian Bon?
Brian Bon has been involved in clogging full time for 25 years, beginning in Utah with 5 years on national championship team, The Steele Family Cloggers, along with his well known family group, The Bon Family Cloggers. Since then he has spent his time trying to expand recognition for clogging as a legitimate art form by redefining the public’s perception via 1000’s of performances in contemporary settings with his professional company, POWERHOUSE!!!, which has done various TV and film projects and is currently on a 73 date performance tour, continuing to grow each year. His student group, The CA All-Stars, is one of CA’s longest existing teams.
1. What’s the difference between clogging and tap?
Mainly style differences separate similar footwork elements in various percussive dance styles like clogging, tap, or Irish step.
Clogging is an aggressive style of percussive dance with various sub-styles. Mainly however, contemporary clogging is much more aerobic, with dancers generally dancing in a low “seated” position with bent knees and on their toes.
Tap dancing also has various sub-styles, including “Broadway” tap or hoofing. “Broadway” tap is very lifted and presentational and generally not as intricate. Hoofing is generally very loose in the upper-body with little or no arm choreography and extremely intricate footwork.
2. Why should I get in to clogging, I’m already in tap, jazz and ballet?
Any time you can cross train in various dance forms it makes you a more competitive and stronger dancer.
3. What’s better, nail on or glue on taps?
Nail on taps stay on MUCH longer than the glue on type.
4. What do you prefer, the split toe clogging shoe or the stomper?
I never tried the split toe shoe. The dance class stompers are okay. They are not as sturdy as comparable tap dance shoes (which are also very often built up).
5. How long have you been clogging?
25 years
6. Where has clogging taken you?
Clogging has been with me every day of my life and everywhere I’ve been since I was 14 years old. It has given me my career and a large part of my personal identity. It helped me develop into a much more well rounded individual.
7. Why do you recommend clogging to EVERYONE?
The answer is simple: clogging is an amazing talent that nearly everyone can do. It doesn’t typically have size or age limits. Nor is it delegated to one sex or the other. Clogging allows people who might not otherwise be dancers to be just that.
8. Who has been the most influential clogger to you?
Bryan Steele
9. What do you think of traditional clogging vs. the new hip-hop/jazz type clogging?
It’s great as long as it’s done well.