St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1885-09-12
THE ART OF cLoG-DANcING.
How 1t May be Taught to Men Women
American VS.. English Dancers.

How 1t May be Taught to Men or Women
| American vs.. English Dancers.
The clog dance, which seems to have
lost its popularity in New York. is still
a favorite accomplishment in some parts
Of the country, while in England it is
standard attraction, the most popular
Of all the acts of the variety theatre
programmes. The professors of the art
in this country still make good living
through giving instructions in. this
branch of the saltatory art.
The roller skaters in perfecting them
selves in their exercise are adding terp-
sichorean accomplishments to their
saltatory skill on wheels. A roller ex-
pert who can not dance jig on skates
doesn't rank first-clasS now. To learn
the steps he has to take lessons, and
here is where the professor of the clogs
comes in with his big charges. These
pupils are male and female.
There is no doubt, said '.profes-
sor, " ''that roller-skating is attracting
general attention to the education of
the lower extremities. More ladies,
high in social circles, and children are
learning to dance than ever before.
Many of them learn fancy steps. such as
iigs. clogs. hornpipes, etc. In teaching
ladt 10 dance clog-dance," the pro-
fessor continued. ..the very first thing
is to teach her to roll her feet. as it is
technically called. This is the key of
the whole business. and when a dancer
can do this successfully the remainder
of the lesson is comparatively easy.
Rolling ones foot is merely raising the
hip. turning the foot in and striking the
toe on the floor. The whole motion
must be gone through with gracefully
and without effort. As the right side of
the body is generally more flexible than
the left-simply because it has been
used more freely-I generally begin
rolling the left foot first. in order to
counteract the usual tendency in favor
of the right.
The distinguishing characteristic of
the clog-dance is the clear. hell-like tap
of the toe or heel on the floor. The
slightest shutlling ruins the effect, while
in jig-dancing shuffling is the prime
merit. In the Jig the sand is relied on
for what may be called the music, while
in the clog the shoes make the melody.
Jingles are inserted in a great many
clogs. and what do you think they are
made ofa'
"Give it up"
I'm many cases of the old-fashioned
copper cent. A hole is cut in the heel
of the clog. and cent set in so that its
broad side is flush with the surface of
the heel Then it is fastened through
the middle with screw. and is left to
play loosely in the socket. Other de-
vices are of course used to reach the
same effect. but jngles and rattles have
seen their day. There was time when
it was necessary to go to England to see
the clog-dancing in its glory. The peo-
pie over there take much more interest
in such things than we do, and the
judging between the comparative merits
of two dancers is considered q very So
rious piece of business.
1.-The judges generally retire into the
cellar, we NAV call it under the stage.
there to remain until both dancers have
separately gone through with a series
of steps. They have no knowledge, of
course. as to which dancer makes the
first exhibition. and rs the ringing of
the clogs is even more distinct under
than above the floor, the merits of the
dance can be thus readily judged with
oat possibility of the Judge seeing the
dancers and allowing his decision to be
biased by personal prejudice"
Here the Professor grew emphatic
and tapped the writer on the chest with
his fore-finger.
'Rut let the American dancer go on
the English stage. among the English
people in a concert hall, and it is
dollars to cents that he Will break down
before he has danced ten minutes"
"Why?"
because they are much more
thorough over there than we are. The
artist who makes his appearance on
London variety stage must understand
his business thoroughly. Surprising he
is dancing a hornpipe, the chances are
ten to one some voice in the audience
will shout: Give us reelr or Give us
a dead march, and the orchestra will
Immediately desert the hornpipe and
drop into a reel or dead march with
out giving the dancer moments
warning. Few of our men can stand
that ordeal. They have repertoire of
some half dozen dances and continue
grinding out those dances. with varia-
tons. to the end of the chapter. IN
Y. Star.