| January/Febuary 2008 Feature Team: The Mountain Heritage Cloggers |
Mountain Heritage is the premier clogging group of the
Shenandoah Valley. The group was started over 20 years ago by
Ginny Guertler, who was also co-founder of the Bull Run
Cloggers. The group has been wowing audiences ever since.
Mountain Heritage has been under the direction of Lisa
Johnson since 2001, with the assistance of Lori Cook for 6
months in 2003.
MHC has performed at many different venues such as Opryland,
Dollywood, Virginia and West Virginia State Fairs, the
Washington D.C. post office, Richmond Science Museum,
Richmond Children's Museum, Maryland State Fair, Waynesboro
Extravaganza, Sweet Dreams Celebration, Happy Birthday USA,
Waynesboro First Night, and local picnics, nursing homes, and
fairs.
Over the years, Mountain Heritage has won numerous State and
National competitive titles. They are back in action with a new
rejuvenated competition team. The team took on their first
competition in Orange County, Virginia in July of 2007. The
team placed in every category in which they entered. MHC
dancers also received individual honors.
Mountain Heritage is a family oriented group that has grown to
32 dancers. The group focuses on working together as a team,
and not focusing on just one individual. They promote
individual greatness, but strive to make sure that all
participants realize that each team member is important both as
individuals and as a part of the team.
MHC practices every Tuesday at the Crimora Community Center
in Crimora, Virginia. They hold beginner classes two times a
year, and are always accepting new dancers. The group consists
of six different levels that will accommodate any dancer’s
ability or need starting with a Pee-Wee class for dancers five
and under, Beginner classes for children and adults,
Intermediate classes for performing children and adults,
Intermediate Recreation for children and adults with no intent
to perform taught by Junior Instructor Megan. Advanced
classes, and a Competition class for advanced dancers wishing
to take it a step further. The MHC competitive team practices
on Thursday evenings at Lisa’s home.
Here are a few health benefits of clogging: helps coordination
and gracefulness, develops flexibility, lowers blood pressure,
increases endurance and strength, increases lung capacity,
relieves stress, and is great for weight loss as it burns around
400 calories per hour. As you can see, clogging provides a great
aerobic workout.
For more information on the Mountain Heritage Cloggers, visit
their website at www.mountainheritagecloggers.clogdancing.com
Shenandoah Valley. The group was started over 20 years ago by
Ginny Guertler, who was also co-founder of the Bull Run
Cloggers. The group has been wowing audiences ever since.
Mountain Heritage has been under the direction of Lisa
Johnson since 2001, with the assistance of Lori Cook for 6
months in 2003.
MHC has performed at many different venues such as Opryland,
Dollywood, Virginia and West Virginia State Fairs, the
Washington D.C. post office, Richmond Science Museum,
Richmond Children's Museum, Maryland State Fair, Waynesboro
Extravaganza, Sweet Dreams Celebration, Happy Birthday USA,
Waynesboro First Night, and local picnics, nursing homes, and
fairs.
Over the years, Mountain Heritage has won numerous State and
National competitive titles. They are back in action with a new
rejuvenated competition team. The team took on their first
competition in Orange County, Virginia in July of 2007. The
team placed in every category in which they entered. MHC
dancers also received individual honors.
Mountain Heritage is a family oriented group that has grown to
32 dancers. The group focuses on working together as a team,
and not focusing on just one individual. They promote
individual greatness, but strive to make sure that all
participants realize that each team member is important both as
individuals and as a part of the team.
MHC practices every Tuesday at the Crimora Community Center
in Crimora, Virginia. They hold beginner classes two times a
year, and are always accepting new dancers. The group consists
of six different levels that will accommodate any dancer’s
ability or need starting with a Pee-Wee class for dancers five
and under, Beginner classes for children and adults,
Intermediate classes for performing children and adults,
Intermediate Recreation for children and adults with no intent
to perform taught by Junior Instructor Megan. Advanced
classes, and a Competition class for advanced dancers wishing
to take it a step further. The MHC competitive team practices
on Thursday evenings at Lisa’s home.
Here are a few health benefits of clogging: helps coordination
and gracefulness, develops flexibility, lowers blood pressure,
increases endurance and strength, increases lung capacity,
relieves stress, and is great for weight loss as it burns around
400 calories per hour. As you can see, clogging provides a great
aerobic workout.
For more information on the Mountain Heritage Cloggers, visit
their website at www.mountainheritagecloggers.clogdancing.com
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Mountain Heritage performing at the Blue Ridge Folk Arts Festival |
Welcome
Cloggers!
Cloggers!
| 2008 Instructor Lisa Johnson |
Lisa has always had a love of dance. She
was introduced to flat footing at a young
age when she and her father used to attend
dances every Saturday night at the
Pavilion of the North 340 Campground,
where she spent many summers. Lisa has
been clogging for over 20 years. She took
her first clogging class from Ginny
Guertler, (former Director of Mountain
Heritage Cloggers of Crimora, Virginia).
Throughout her clogging career she has
traveled up and down the East Coast
teaching, performing and competing. She
has won numerous Regional and State
titles. Lisa clogged with the Mountain
Heritage Cloggers for 11 years performing
both locally and out of state at places
such as: The West Virginia State Fair,
Opryland, Dollywood, Maryland State
Fair. Shortly after the birth of her first
child Lisa then decided to try her hand at
directing and she served as the lead
Instructor and Choreographer for Little
Switzerland Cloggers of Highland County
Virginia for 5 years. In 2001 Ginny
Guertler, then Director of the Mountain
Heritage Cloggers was wishing to retire to
spend time with her family and proposed
the offer of “Director” to Lisa. Those were
some very big shoes to fill as Ginny was a
wonderful director, and Lisa already had
her hands full with a family, a full time
job, and Little Switzerland. So Lisa took
on the role of Director for the Mountain
Heritage Cloggers in addition to her many
other responsibilities. In 2003, she left
the Little Switzerland Cloggers to have
more time on her hands for her family. She
comfortable left the Little Switzerland
Cloggers in the hands of the assistant
instructor, Dorothy Stephenson. In 2007,
Lisa began training her students to build a
competitive dance team through the
Mountain Heritage Cloggers. They are
starting on their first full year of
competing with a few wins under their
belt already.Lisa has also taught at
numerous local clogging workshops.
Lisa loves being able to help her students
grow, and feels very proud to be the
director of such an extremely talented
group of dancers. She strives to make each
dancer recognize that they are all special
and each dancer brings their own special
qualities to clogging to be the best they
can be, individually, and as a team. Lisa
works as an Auditor for a Virginia State
Rehab Facility. She and her husband Matt
have been married for 10 years and have
two beautiful children. Lisa is currently
working on her CCI and hopes to be fully
credentialed by 2008 Lisa will also be
attending ACHF judges training in June to
become a certified ACHF judge.
johnsolm@comcast.net
was introduced to flat footing at a young
age when she and her father used to attend
dances every Saturday night at the
Pavilion of the North 340 Campground,
where she spent many summers. Lisa has
been clogging for over 20 years. She took
her first clogging class from Ginny
Guertler, (former Director of Mountain
Heritage Cloggers of Crimora, Virginia).
Throughout her clogging career she has
traveled up and down the East Coast
teaching, performing and competing. She
has won numerous Regional and State
titles. Lisa clogged with the Mountain
Heritage Cloggers for 11 years performing
both locally and out of state at places
such as: The West Virginia State Fair,
Opryland, Dollywood, Maryland State
Fair. Shortly after the birth of her first
child Lisa then decided to try her hand at
directing and she served as the lead
Instructor and Choreographer for Little
Switzerland Cloggers of Highland County
Virginia for 5 years. In 2001 Ginny
Guertler, then Director of the Mountain
Heritage Cloggers was wishing to retire to
spend time with her family and proposed
the offer of “Director” to Lisa. Those were
some very big shoes to fill as Ginny was a
wonderful director, and Lisa already had
her hands full with a family, a full time
job, and Little Switzerland. So Lisa took
on the role of Director for the Mountain
Heritage Cloggers in addition to her many
other responsibilities. In 2003, she left
the Little Switzerland Cloggers to have
more time on her hands for her family. She
comfortable left the Little Switzerland
Cloggers in the hands of the assistant
instructor, Dorothy Stephenson. In 2007,
Lisa began training her students to build a
competitive dance team through the
Mountain Heritage Cloggers. They are
starting on their first full year of
competing with a few wins under their
belt already.Lisa has also taught at
numerous local clogging workshops.
Lisa loves being able to help her students
grow, and feels very proud to be the
director of such an extremely talented
group of dancers. She strives to make each
dancer recognize that they are all special
and each dancer brings their own special
qualities to clogging to be the best they
can be, individually, and as a team. Lisa
works as an Auditor for a Virginia State
Rehab Facility. She and her husband Matt
have been married for 10 years and have
two beautiful children. Lisa is currently
working on her CCI and hopes to be fully
credentialed by 2008 Lisa will also be
attending ACHF judges training in June to
become a certified ACHF judge.
johnsolm@comcast.net
Above and Below: MHC entertains at
Graves Mountain Lodge
Graves Mountain Lodge
| Performing at the Elkton Fair |
The MHC
competition gals
taking on their
first competition,
the OCC
competition, in
Orange, Virginia
competition gals
taking on their
first competition,
the OCC
competition, in
Orange, Virginia
| Clogging their way through the Staunton Christmas Parade |