Clogging Videos

by Claudia Collier

Dear clogging friends and customers,

 

     I am still hanging in there clogging, and hope you are, too!   Age is slowing me down for sure, but I am always looking for ways to get around that and keep my team’s performance entertaining.

 

     In the mid-90’s “CC Express” started using movement and formations to add interest to our dances.  “Show-oriented” themes added other elements and costuming. 

 

     Several dancers have joined my team over the past 5 years, and we have videoed walk-thrus of some of our team show dances to help teach them.    Several of you have been interested in learning from these, so I thought I would organize them and offer them for sale to all of you. 

I was surprised to see that there are 18 dances that we still do currently, even though there are many others that we have let go because the music was not popular enough or the dances were not flexible (or just not very good – they can’t all be winners!!) 

 

     I will not mislead you, however.  These dances require a dedicated team of dancers (differing numbers, but most can be done by 8).  Some have advanced footwork sections (to appease my younger dancers), but can be simplified with the formations intact.  Some have just basic clogging steps, and simple jazzy moves, but when dancers move around or do things in positions, usually the same dancers do the same positions (most of the time).   It has been worth the effort for us, and I truly believe that this is why my team is still together.    I won’t sugar-coat it, however, as there are risks involved in changing your group’s status-quo.  The stress level definitely rises when dancers “depend on each other’s commitment” – but everything worthwhile involves risk, doesn’t it??  Today I am proud that our team has developed a bit of a reputation as “being different” and hopefully entertaining to watch.

 

     Along the way, I noticed that I have choreographed a few clogging “line-type” dances also, so I have VIDEO #16 available.

 

     I have been dragged into the new age of technology, at least a little bit, so I have all of my previous videos and all of the above available on DVD and the music on CDs. I have a computer now !!!!

 

     I still believe that CLOGGING has not reached its full potential and popularity.  So I am, again, working to do whatever my aging body will let me do to “push it along” and “get it out there” in front of the public.  Hope you are, too.    

A Note From Claudia