swampy
Feb-19-2010, 9:41am
I was told that a stomp, i.e. The Bluegrass Stomp, and a breakdown, i.e. Bluegrass or Pike County Breakdown, referred to a particular or specific type of dance step. I've also heard this said of The Clinch Mtn. Backstep. Anyone have any info or links on this? Thanks in advance.
RobBob
Feb-28-2010, 10:17am
The Clinch Mountain Backstep is actually Lonesome John, an old Kentucky fiddle tune with an added beat. I heard Ralph Stanley tell the story of how he added the backstep to it. He did not call the tune Lonesome John he just said he added the beat. Those are all kinds of dances or names for dances. There is a tune called Backstep Cindy. I am not a dancer but my observations tell me that a stomp is usually from the African tradition, a breakdown can be from either tradition and backstep as I understand it is a backward kind of skip dance step. But then I may be all wrong.