However, it seems that step dancing used to be very common in many parts of Britain and was performed informally at social gatherings. Some stepping can still be found in Devon and parts of East Anglia and it certainly occurred in the Mendips, Herefordshire, the New Forest, Essex and Sussex within living memory. It is likely that informal stepping such as this was also exported with the settlers. In the Southern Appalachians, these styles were exposed to other influences, in particular from the African population, and new and exciting styles of dancing evolved. One of the oldest of these styles is flatfooting, where the feet are kept low to the ground and the emphasis is very much on rhythm making.
Many regional variations exist.
This form of stepping was originally performed informally and by only one or two dancers at a time, perhaps on the front porch of the house to the music of a banjo or fiddle. More recently, the steps have been incorporated into specially choreographed routines which are then performed by a team of dancers accompanied by a string band. Although most traditional stepping would have been performed by dancers wearing ordinary hard-soled shoes, most modern dispay sides wear shoes fitted with metal taps which provide a sharper percussive sound. The team's origins are very much in Appalachian dance, both flatfooting and clogging styles, and our dances range from whole-team presentations to solos. However, we are beginning to diversify a little and already we have learnt some Cape Breton stepping and Welsh Clogging.