On The Beat - News from around the clogging world

Dateline: February 6, 2008

More clogging on FOX's "So You Think You Can Dance"

Hey everybody,

We have some great news! The television show "So You Think You Can Dance" is in Salt Lake City, Utah and auditioning dancers around here. Maria LOVES the show and went up today to try out. And out of over 1000 dancers (not just cloggers, all types of dance), she was one of around 150 picked to make it into the second round! She returns to the second round on Wednesday (it will last all day from 6:00 a.m. to probably 8:00 p.m.) and will dance in front of the main judges (Mary, Nigel, etc). Yeah!

For those familiar with the show, the second round is the one they generally show on TV (on the stage with judges comments). So we will see! How fun and exciting!

Greg Tucker
Executive Director
America On Stage/USA Dance

Editor's note: More audition dates for the show are coming up on February 21 (Washington, D.C.), March 6 (Los Angeles, CA), and March 20 (Milwaukee, WI). Check the show's web site for updates and more information.

Dateline: February 1, 2008

2007 National Clogging Convention Photos!

If you attended the 2007 National Clogging Convention in Nashville, it's very likely that staff photographer Wayne McChesney took your photo! If you missed this year's convention, take a tour of all the fun that was captured in these 1300+ available photos:

Album #1 - Tuesday through Thursday activities
Album #2 - Friday activities
Album #3 - Saturday and Sunday activities

Dateline: September 16, 2007

Edmonton Journal Reports on Clogging and Instructor Kerri Orthner

I just wanted to let you know that an article about clogging came out in our local paper: "No Wooden Shoes Required". (Editor's note: Check out a video clip of Kerri in action! Look for the link under the "Related Links" section located on the right side of the article page.)

Submitted by Kerri Orthner, Alberta, Canada

Dateline: August 18, 2007

Brandon Norris showcases clogging on Thursday's "So You Think You Can Dance" Finale

Congrats to Brandon Norris who returned for Thursday's "So You Think You Can Dance" finale to showcase clogging. During Brandon's audition earlier in the season, Judge Nigel Lythgoe called him "the best clogger we've ever seen on the show".

You can view Brandon's finale performance on YouTube, or visit Fox's So You Think You Can Dance site for more information about the show.

Dateline: August 16, 2007

Participate in the Holiday Clogging Classic Competition in Nashville!

Saturday, November 24, 2007
Holiday Clogging Classic Competition held in conjunction with the National Clogging Convention
Opryland Hotel, Nashville TN
NCHC Sanctioned
Amateur and Masters levels offered
Discounted competition entry fees and free spectator admission with Convention registration

Visit www.clog.org for more competition information!

Dateline: August 13, 2007

Clogger Brandon Norris to Appear on "So You Think You Can Dance" on Thursday, August 16

Hey guys!

I am so excited to tell you that Brandon has been asked to come out to LA for another performance on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE!!!!! He will be on sometime this next week, possibly the FINALE show! So be sure to tune in to FOX on Thursday night, August 16th to catch Brandon in action! He does a great job of representing clogging & we are extremely PROUD of him for all that he has accomplished!

Continue reading this topic at the Clogdancing.com Forum; Posted by Shannon South

Dateline: July 22, 2007

Cloggers place 1st at Showstopper American Dance Championships

Dear Friends:

Just returned from the National Finals and wanted to share our good news with you. Each of my three teams took top honors and will be included on the Top Performers of Mid-America video which is shown on cable tv (I have no further details at present):

Junior Clogging – 1st place champions
Teen Clogging – 1st place champions
Senior Clogging – 1st place champions

I am very proud of all my hard-working dancers! Very happy to see clogging teams from more states this year, including Oklahoma, Indiana, and Florida. Let’s get even more cloggers out to Showstoppers next year and show the lyrical dancers how to have a good time!

Submitted by Elaine Bender, CCI; Director, Bruce Lea Clogging Team (TX)

Dateline: June 18, 2007

Correction to CCI date at Convention 2007

In the "News from CCI" section of the May-June 2007 issue, we listed the Thursday convention date as November 29. The correct date is actually November 22. We regret the error and have since corrected the date on the online issue. We recommend that you always confirm dates before making travel plans.

Dateline: April 26, 2007

WV Cloggers Lose Instructor

One of the most popular clogging instuctors in West Virginia passed away 4-25-07 in Charleston, WV. Tony Burgess taught over 200 people to dance. He was the director of the Mountain State Stompers, a team that was well known across the state and won many competitions. He also taught at the first CLOG Convention in Mobile and was great friends with Tandy Barrett. He is why I still clog today and have 3 teams...
Submitted by Lesley Meadows, WV

Dateline: April 15, 2007

News from CCI

CCI Members: If you are going to be at the National Clogging Convention in Nashville on Thursday (November 29th) during the day and are interested in helping out with CCI evaluating, please let us know. We're looking for a list of people that we can call upon should we need your assistance (this is all voluntary).

If you are going to be around earlier in the week during the Seminar portion and would be interested in helping with the seminars by sharing, please let us know.

We're also looking to compile a list of CCI members who are interested in helping with the Seminars on an as-needed basis, and/or becoming a mentor. If you are interested, please contact Janice Hanzel or Kathey Wilson at cci@clog.org.

CCI Instructors: Please check your information on the CCI Registry on the CLOG website to make sure your information is correct. If not, send info to: janice.hanzel@clog.org.

Dateline: April 15, 2007

Big Brother TV Show is Looking for Cloggers!

CBS’s Big Brother is gearing up for another summer of fun!

Are you an age 50 plus, outgoing, intriguing, competitive person who would make the perfect BIG BROTHER HouseGuest? Are you up for anything and everything? Are you ready to live inside the BIG BROTHER House with a group of strangers while multiple cameras record your every move and sound 24 hours a day, seven days a week? Are you willing to compete for half a million dollars against other participants as aggressive and ambitious as you are? If you can answer yes to these questions, you just might qualify as a contestant on BIG BROTHER.

To apply, go to www.CBS.com. Access to the Big Brother application can be found on the lower left side of the CBS home page. If immediately interested or you have questions please contact

Dena LeMmons
Big Brother Casting
(818) 325-6900 ext 6942
dena@kasstinginc.com

Dateline: March 24, 2007

Canadian Cloggers Place First in Dance Festival Competition

A group of cloggers from the Vancouver, BC area entered a local music festival and were entered in the “over-20” dance category. They were pitted against other dance forms such as tap and jazz, but the cloggers WON their category! Each dancer received her own medal and ribbon, and the group received a trophy and cheque. Congratulations to Helen LeCounte and her Time Step Cloggers on their win! Keep up the good work!

Dateline: March 21, 2007

Local Spotlight on Florida Cloggers

Cloggers tap into a dancing tradition
By Kevin O'Horan (Article published March 5, 2007 - Herald Tribune, Sarasota)

VENICE -- Fay Deroian slips a well-worn cassette into a portable tape player set up in the "living room" at the Venice Senior Friendship Center, hits the "play" button and, with her head cocked slightly, strains to listen for the first bars of ABBA's "Super Trouper."

As the song's lyrical intro starts tumbling from the speakers, Deroian checks with her dance partners 10 feet away, gets their take on the decibel level, then bumps up the player's output a notch or two.

Satisfied, Deroian shuffles toward her place in the dance troupe, her gait and pace limited by her "80-and-three-quarter" years.

Limited, that is, until she hits the dance line -- and starts clogging, a tap-happy stomp-style dance that sets her feet into rapid-fire motion and her heart to fluttering.

Continue reading this article at http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007703050478.

Dateline: March 4, 2007

Missouri and Illinois Clogging Organizations Establish Sisterhood Status

Cloggers in Missouri and Illinois can now enjoy additional discounts from their respective group's memberships, as the Missouri Clogging Council (MCC) and the Illinois Prairie Clogging Association (IPCA) have combined forces to establish official "Sisterhood Status". Through their combined affiliation, cloggers who join either state's group can also experience the benefit of having the other state recognize their membership when attending events and workshops and receiving an additional discount on registration fees. As many cloggers today struggle to decide whether they should join associations and groups, it becomes clear that getting 'more bang for your buck' becomes a major issue. Individuals who attend several workshops and other events throughout the year would do well to do price comparisons and see how this kind of partnership can lead to increased savings. MCC and IPCA encourage other state groups to combine forces and join them in leading the way to help cloggers throughout the country not only enjoy the fun and fellowship of going to these events, but to realize that more dancers, even at lesser entrance fees, means extra revenue to enhance the overall clogging experience for all our dancers.

Dateline: February 2007

New CLOG Board of Directors Appointments

CLOG, Inc. is pleased to announce some recent changes to the CLOG Board of Directors.

• President and Chairperson of the Board - Conrad Cooper (OH)
• New Board Member - George Garhart (TX)
• New Board Member - Barb Guenette (Canada)

Read more about these changes at CLOG's official Board announcement.