Bobcat Cloggers shake their way to stardom

The sound of taps on clogging shoes is being heard around campus.

Blair Dietrich, professor of mathematics at Georgia College & State University, has started a clogging group called “The Bobcat Cloggers.”

The group includes GC&SU students, faculty and staff with previous clogging experience.

Dietrich encouraged anyone with clogging experience to join the group.

“The group meets in Arts and Sciences 1-50 from 4 to 5 p.m., on Thursdays and has already begun working on routines,” Dietrich said. “So far the group has six members, but I hope it will grow as more people hear about it.”

Dietrich said he wanted to start the clogging group so GC&SU could have its own group for experienced cloggers who are interested in performing and having fun while doing it. He also mentioned that other larger universities such as Mars Hill University have clogging teams who complete.

“These teams are almost looked at as a sport at some schools, and scholarships are even offered for those students with the correct skills,” he said.

The “Bobcat Cloggers” is Dietrich’s second clogging group. In January of 2000, he started the “Old Capitol Cloggers.” The group is for anyone in Milledgeville who is interested in learning to clog for fun. The group is for beginners, as well as anyone who has had previous experience. The “Old Capitol Cloggers” have performed at various events including Fest of Ville, Reynolds Plantation Fair, and Relay for Life.

Dietrich has been clogging since 1989 when he was a member of the Sunflower Cloggers here in Milledgeville taught by Kija Humphus. The group disbanded after Humphus moved to Columbus, Ga. Dietrich joined the Southern Pride Cloggers in Gray, under the direction of Diane Wells Hill. He wanted to start a clogging group in Milledgeville, and it has been successful so far.

Clogging has been around for many years and originally started out as mountain or step dancing. This has changed in the last 30 to 50 years.

“Clogging is not just done to old bluegrass music,” Dietrich said. “We dance to Britney Spears, Shakira, Ricky Martin, and Prince. We also clog to some country music, but not always.”

The clogging shoe consists of a two-part tap that is loosely attached to the bottom of the shoe. The noise is created by the taps hitting each other, as well as the tap hitting the floor.

“The type of clogging that I do is a precision-type dance that is choreographed. It is not a freestyle clogging that others do without set steps,” Dietrich said.

For those without experience, the beginner class meets at the Baldwin County Recreation Department on Mondays from 6 to 7 p.m. After learning the basics through this class and gaining some experience clogging, a person can move up to “The Bobcat Cloggers” group.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 20 2002. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry