Dancing?

[Mike Steadfast-Ward]

Excuse the crassness of this question. Its mainly to Bluegrass Folks.
At Bluegrass festivals and meets is the tradition of the old dances eg
Flatfooting, Buckdancing and Clogging still practiced and are youngsters
taught the tradition to keep it alive and thriving? I am English so I am
only familiar with Bluegrass and Appalachian music.

[mandolinlee]

Hi Mike -

The Northern Indiana Bluegrass Festivals held twice a year at the Fairgrounds in Kendallville, Indiana, USA have a paved spot beside the shelter house area, right in front of the stage for dancers. There is always a few dancers for every group playing on stage. It appears the dancing may be fueled by alcohol!

Lee

[Mike Bunting]

Once in a while.
fb8rjyiFs64

[Beanzy]

Always lots of clogging and flat-footing events at the UK BG and OldTime Festivals too.

http://www.foaotmad.org.uk/
http://www.britishbluegrass.co.uk/html/events.html

[Eddie Sheehy]

Julian Family Fiddle Camp has Appalachian Flatfoot dancing...

http://www.familyfiddlecamp.com/

[JeffD]

Lots of dancing at old time festivals.

[Mike Steadfast-Ward]

Lots of dancing at old time festivals.

I would think that could be an opportunity for dancing and folk dances from almost any era or style including Rag Time, Jazz etc.
I was wondering whether much other than Bluegrass Music and 'shine' had also been carried forward to be celeebrated culturally.
As dance and music are shoes on the same pair of feet so to speak.

[Timbofood]

When was that video done Mike? Just goes to show the master knew how to interest youth!

[Cue Zephyr]

I was actually wondering about this myself a few days ago. Thanks for posting. :)

[Turtle]

I don't know about the "traditional" dance styles such as clogging or flat-footing but around here, if there's music, people will be dancing. Some people just can't help themselves; They hear music and their feet start moving...

[Mike Bunting]

When was that video done Mike? Just goes to show the master knew how to interest youth!
Bean Blossom, mid 80's. He loved kids.

[Willie Poole]

My band at one time had a cloggers group that came to most of our gigs and the fans seemed to love it..

On another note but not pertaining to the Op`s question, I always went to the Red Fox in Bethesda Md. to watch Cliff Waldron, the Country Gents, and The Seldom scene, at one performance Bill Emerson stopped playing right in the middle of a song when two dancers got up to dance, he said,"You dance, I don`t play, I play, you don`t dance"...The dancers went to the manager and complained but he agreed with Bill and said he would rather lose two dancers than one of the worlds best banjo players...Bill got shot in the parking lot a week or so later, I wonder if there was any connection?

Willie

[Rex Hart]

One of my favorite memories is of my Dad buck dancing to Soldiers Joy and a lot of the other old fiddle tunes.

[Mike Steadfast-Ward]

One of my favorite memories is of my Dad buck dancing to Soldiers Joy and a lot of the other old fiddle tunes.
Precious memory.

[brent1308]

A lot of festivals have a dance tent or a dance stage. Some of which have formal or informal lessons as part of the festival, but most of the dancing is a sort of "whatever goes" type thing.