THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 6, 1995 TAG: 9508050093
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAWSON MILLS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
If Chesapeake wasn't the clogging capital of the world on July 29, there ain't a cow in Texas.
They came from all over the East Coast, from as far away as Maine and Georgia, to attend the 18th annual East Coast Clogging Championships at Indian River Middle School on Old Greenbrier Road. More than 1,000 people, including dancers, families and spectators, filled the auditorium, hallways and cafeteria as the sound of bluegrass music and contemporary tunes wafted through the building.
Contestants for the event, which was sponsored by the Chesapeake-based Flatland Cloggers and the Chesapeake Department of Parks and Recreation, began arriving early - before 7 a.m. - and were prepared to stay late.
``It'll go till at least midnight. It could go as late as 2 or 3 a.m.,'' predicted Robin Rawlings, director of the Country Docks from Barstow, Md.
Rawlings was right on the money. Things didn't wrap up until 3 a.m.
By the time it was over, however, the world of clogging had several new grand champions. In the traditional category (performed to live music provided by the Dixie Coast bluegrass band) the winners were Comin' At Ya! of Thomasville, N.C., with an open hoedown routine.
In the precision (contemporary) category, performed to recorded popular music, Rawlings' Country Docks took top honors with an eight-couple Southern Appalachian smooth routine.
Cheryl Skeen and Rachael Schwartz of Cripple Creek Cloggers of Burgaw, N.C., were grand champions in the duet category. In the solo category, female grand champion went to Mitzi Owens and male grand champion to Colen Ditty.
Throughout the day, Bob Johnson, director of the Flatland Cloggers, master of ceremonies for the day's activities, kept chaos from encroaching on the orderly pace of events. Periodically, he handed out trophies to the winners in the 86 events in which 82 cloggers or groups of cloggers from the 16 teams represented competed.
Johnson, originally from Metcalf, Ky., has taught clogging through the city's Department of Parks and Recreation for 24 years. Clogging tends to be a family affair and he is no exception; his wife, both daughters and granddaughter were there with him.
``We're all here,'' he said. ``It's family entertainment.'' And, he added, with a grin, ``We're just doing what we were taught as a kid...and, back then, didn't like!''
Johnson likes it now. He prefers the traditional clogging, noting with some dismay that it is taking a back seat to contemporary styles in some circles. At the championships, he pointed out, only eight teams had entries in traditional categories, compared to 14 in line dance.
``We promote traditional clogging,'' he said.
With six teams competing, North Carolina had the largest contingent. In addition to Comin' At Ya! and the Cripple Creek Cloggers, the East Country Hoedowners came from Wilson, Hickory Flat from Denton, Pride of Carolina from High Point and Rhythm Masters from Lexington.
Virginia had two entries: Dazzlin Image from Portsmouth and the Peanut City Cloggers from Suffolk. The Flatland Cloggers, as host team, was unable to compete; its members, when they weren't working, eagerly watched the other teams' routines. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by DAWSON MILLS
The Hickory Flat Express cloggers practice before they go before the
judges.
by CNB