Interesting Wisconsin clogging information

This is a great comment I received from a fellow clogger in LaCrosse, Wisconsin!!

“Interestingly we were up in the Mpls. yesterday to see their local cloggers ‘Wild Goose Chase Cloggers’ performing with a group from England called ‘FireStone’-(both have web sites). They performed in an open park setting and their two hour performance was outstanding. They both have traditional Appalachian style clogging along with variations,… Wild Goose Chase Cloggers (3 hours away) wear single taps which we found interesting because that is what we wear, Rochester, MN groups (1 1/2 hour away) wear jingle taps. We have found double tap cloggers laugh at the single tap cloggers. We know 90% of the cloggers in the US have double/jingle taps, but we now know that in England they are wearing the single tap and clogging. FireStone explained that 25 years ago a clogging group from MN came and they were influenced by that group hence the single taps on their shoes. How may other cloggers in the US wear single taps??

Thought you would find this interesting.”

Tracy

What do others cloggers think about this?

Comments

  1. I think that the double or jingle taps are worn by the people that do White Shoe Clogging, which is more related to line-dancing and cheer-leading. Our style of clogging is related to the West Virginian Flat Footing/Buck Dancing, where traditionally they wore hard soled shoes without any taps on. When I went to Cliff Top Festival when we were over they said that taps were only introduced when PA Systems started to amplify the bands so that the feet could be heard over the amplified music – the taps were just there to make the sound louder rather than to change the sound (which double, jingle taps do). I guess that is why we all wear single taps – makes for a more accurate reproduction to the sound the foot makes when it hits the floor.

    (This was an e-mail I received from my Wisconsin friend who forwarded it to me from the Firestone group from England. What do the rest of you think about the difference in taps, single versus double? Hit “comments” to reply!)

  2. norma schultz says

    I have attended a show at the Stoughton Opera House where the Wild Goose Chase Cloggers performed. I have been clogging for 30 years, and I have never seen anything so spectacular. Their type of clogging is so unique, and their acapella jive (hand-clappn’ knee slappn’ ) segment just blew my mind. I have attended national conventions all around the country where they put on a show at the end of the convention; they are like shows you’d see in Vegas. I’ve never seen such an awesome performance as the Wild Goose Chase Cloggers. Their simple print dresses; their slim figures and their syncapation can’t be beat. I am winding down my clogging days, at 79, I don’t have the stamina anymore. I last performed at a nursing home in March of 2012. I have performed in 1128 exhibitions over the years, and in pretty good health even after heart surgery in 2001. I wish I had started in my teens instead of at 51. What memories.