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Cloggers Honor Diversity in Spring Show
click for photo gallery by Kristalyn Bunyan
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Who Needs Sexy? Bailey Mountain Cloggers Bring Back Tradition!
Story by Maryanne Brown
The Bailey Mountain Cloggers recently stamped their way through three performances in three days, with each performance lasting more than two hours.
Their theme this year, "Immigrant Sole," blended dances inspired from different cultures all over the globe, and from March 30 to April 1, the sounds of tapping could be heard from Moore Auditorium.
Clogging has been influenced by many different types of dancing, including Irish step dancing, African rhythm dancing, Native American stomp, Spanish Flamenco and English square dancing.
The show sought to highlight these types of dance and go back to the roots of clogging.
A guest choreographer, Darrius Goudine, helped the cloggers create their show. Mr. Goudine has been a part of a step team called "Step Afrika!" since 1999. He has performed all across the nation and in several other countries. He helped choreograph the Zulu, Step and Gumboot routines in the performance this year.
Other outside help came from sophomore soccer player Alex Lord. He is a self-taught hip-hop choreographer who has won several top awards for his dancing. He was in two of the routines during the show and was a vital asset to the dancing segments.
During the final performance of the show a male clogger couldn't be there, so Lord learned two more routines just hours before the performance, then went on stage with the rest of BMC and played the part of a clogger.
Behind the scenes, the 23-member clogging team performed four dress rehearsals to get ready for the big night. They were also in practice every day for nearly two weeks, with practices beginning at four and going until "very late," according to Danielle Buice, the BMC Director.
Buice, who graduated from Mars Hill College last May, directed the show. She smiled and enthusiastically said she couldn't be prouder of the cloggers, adding, "this show was the best in a long time."
A BMC alumnus even told her, "This show is bringing back what Bailey Mountain used to be and needs to be. It is bringing back the tradition."
Over 1,200 people saw the show, and many have raved over the performance. Sophomore Kristin Sawyer raved about Alex Lord and the skeleton-like costumes. Senior Jennifer Graves was amazed by "how fast the steps are, and they are all in unison! It's incredible." She also commented on the costumes.
With each new routine the cloggers changed their outfits. Sometimes it seemed they walked off and then back on wearing something new. In fact, there are three people back stage per every female clogger to help them switch their clothes fast. Mostly family members and friends help out the cloggers, but other students are recruited to help out as well.
Eight of the 23 cloggers are seniors and set to graduate. Captain Heidi Kulas, Misty Searcy, Char'Lee Pickens, Natalie Byard, Lauren Ann Finley, Mary Maragaret Fulk, Sheena Camp and Chris Kennedy are all about to put away their clogging shoes - but not before heading out to Spain on Easter Sunday.
The BMC are going to Spain to perform in a folk festival. Twelve to thirteen other teams will be there as well, but BMC is the only one from the United States. They will only be there for a week and performing shows every day, with one big show at the end and a parade.
"We are going to show what American clogging is all about," Buice said. When asked if the cloggers were going to sight-see, she responded seriously, "Some days we only have two performances-so maybe!"
Reader Comment:
Sable Adams, Freshman, 4/9/2007, 1:23 p.m.
Great story Maryanne! Everyone from BMC was really excited about this annual event so I was really excited to see that it finally made it to the Hilltop for this years performance! 1-2-3 BMC!!!!!!!
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