| November/December Feature Team: Virginia Sugarcane Cloggers |
The Virginia Sugarcane Cloggers were formed in 1977 as a duet with
Anna Breeding and Nancy Kirk. Anna and Nancy became interested in
the dances that accompanied the traditional string music which Anna’s
father and other neighbors were playing at a log cabin (now Country
Cabin) near their home in Josephine near Norton. Along with the
music, other activities were inspired such as making molasses. The two
girls became involved with helping in the stir-offs and, as a result,
were dubbed by one of the neighbors as the “sugarcane” cloggers - the
name “stuck”.
Nancy and Anna were so intrigued with the dance as part of a
promotional effort to preserve their native heritage dance that they
discovered a school for clogging at Fontana Village, North Carolina
entitled Clog College. This workshop enabled them to enhance their
basic dance skills already learned from sisters Jennie Hill and Sandra
Hensley, local dancers trained at Berea College. Nancy and Anna began
performing and teaching the dance in their own area. Nancy soon left
the duet leaving Anna as the sole teacher. Since then, Anna has become
more or less a dance pioneer in the region as she has taught thousands
of students in clogging. She continues to add members to her clogging
team from her classes.
The Virginia Sugarcane Cloggers are experienced and qualified in
Appalachian dance and perform precision style clogging to both live
and recorded music. The group’s fee largely depends upon the distance
and financial circumstances of the sponsor. Most performances are
benefits and charitable events locally; however, the fee is negotiable.
If you are planning a program or event this summer and you want a
crowd pleasing act, then our group can certainly fill the bill. Our
previous performances can attest to the ability of drawing substantial
crowds to our show, and we can do the same for your event.
Anna Breeding and Nancy Kirk. Anna and Nancy became interested in
the dances that accompanied the traditional string music which Anna’s
father and other neighbors were playing at a log cabin (now Country
Cabin) near their home in Josephine near Norton. Along with the
music, other activities were inspired such as making molasses. The two
girls became involved with helping in the stir-offs and, as a result,
were dubbed by one of the neighbors as the “sugarcane” cloggers - the
name “stuck”.
Nancy and Anna were so intrigued with the dance as part of a
promotional effort to preserve their native heritage dance that they
discovered a school for clogging at Fontana Village, North Carolina
entitled Clog College. This workshop enabled them to enhance their
basic dance skills already learned from sisters Jennie Hill and Sandra
Hensley, local dancers trained at Berea College. Nancy and Anna began
performing and teaching the dance in their own area. Nancy soon left
the duet leaving Anna as the sole teacher. Since then, Anna has become
more or less a dance pioneer in the region as she has taught thousands
of students in clogging. She continues to add members to her clogging
team from her classes.
The Virginia Sugarcane Cloggers are experienced and qualified in
Appalachian dance and perform precision style clogging to both live
and recorded music. The group’s fee largely depends upon the distance
and financial circumstances of the sponsor. Most performances are
benefits and charitable events locally; however, the fee is negotiable.
If you are planning a program or event this summer and you want a
crowd pleasing act, then our group can certainly fill the bill. Our
previous performances can attest to the ability of drawing substantial
crowds to our show, and we can do the same for your event.
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| Anna Ruth Wells Founder |
Welcome
Cloggers!
Cloggers!
| Visit their website! www.sugarcanecloggers.com |
| Anna Ruth Wells Virginia Sugarcane Founder and Instructor |
Anna Wells has been dancing nearly all of her life; however, her interest and
introduction to traditional mountain clogging began in 1976 - only 4 short
years after she married. Anna grew up in an isolated region of the
Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, and it seemed there were always
musicians around. Her Father, Vilas Williams, played guitar, banjo and
harmonica and her Mother, Ella Carico Williams, played guitar. Anna, her
two sisters Charlotte and Wanda and the entire family sang in church. Her
Mother said that one of the main attractions she had for her Dad was that he
was a musician.
Anna’s musical interest likely began at an early age influenced by her
parents while she grew up at the “mouth of Thacker’s Branch” near Norton,
but her interest in learning to play a stringed instrument or clog dance
never surfaced until she and her husband, parents and some neighbors
attended a birthday party for Fred Peters in Josephine in 1977. From this
gathering stimulated weekly musical jam sessions held at a log cabin, the
second Country Cabin, owned and offered to use by Fred located at the foot
of Stone Mountain in Josephine (on the hill opposite of Fred’s home). These
meetings were stemmed from a curiosity for the mountain heritage and
created a desire to revive the music and dance of this heritage. Other local
musicians began to drift by on Saturday evenings and a neighbor girlfriend
(Nancy Kirk) and Anna began the search to find someone who could teach
them the traditional dances to go with the music. They were successful in
locating not one, but two girls, (sisters Jenny Hill and Sandra Hensley,
daughters of local musician J.T. Greear) who had clog and folk dance
training at the Berea Christmas School of Dance, Berea, Ky. And also with
John McCutcheon at Clinch Valley College in Wise, Va. The sisters came to
the cabin and taught clog and square dancing to individuals there. Jenny
and Sandra taught them mountain style square dancing and the basic clog
steps at the second Country Cabin known as the Stone Mountain
Community Center. From these lessons, a traditional Appalachian dancer
and educator was born.
Anna and Nancy soon learned of a clog workshop in Fontana Village, NC over
Easter weekend which they attended with their husbands. That was the spark
that inspired them to take their training to the public.
Anna’s personal travels has allowed her to take her zeal for her mountain
dance to other nations (France, Mexico, Hawaii, Portugal, Spain, Austria,
etc.) This has proven to be a very exciting and educational experience as she
has been able to share and swap dances. The trip to Hawaii’s Polynesian
Culture Center in 1980 was a real treat as she and her husband Spencer
visited a native musician who was playing the ukulele in a catchy, rhythmic
beat and she found her feet moving to the beat. A very broad smile erupted
across the musician’s face and tourists were watching in amazement. One
gentleman in the crowd whispered to his wife, “I think she’s square dancing.”
Of course, she had to set them straight on what it was she was actually
doing. They then proceeded to the Tahitian Village where some of us
participated in lessons to do the dance of the “otea” (hula dance of Tahiti).
This was a very enlightening training experience.
Anna is the founder and director of a group of cloggers, the Virginia
Sugarcane Cloggers of Norton, Va. who performs all over southwestern
Virginia, eastern Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina. They have served
as ambassadors of Appalachian dance and culture in their travels. She
founded the team in 1977 as a duet with Nancy Kirk at what is now known as
the (first - built in 1939, then revived in 1979), Country Cabin. She also
formed and directed a country line dance group, the Raisin’ Cane Country
Dancers from 1992 to 1994 from classes she taught at the Holiday Inn in
Norton. They enjoyed several local performances and sometimes in
conjunction with her clog team.
introduction to traditional mountain clogging began in 1976 - only 4 short
years after she married. Anna grew up in an isolated region of the
Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, and it seemed there were always
musicians around. Her Father, Vilas Williams, played guitar, banjo and
harmonica and her Mother, Ella Carico Williams, played guitar. Anna, her
two sisters Charlotte and Wanda and the entire family sang in church. Her
Mother said that one of the main attractions she had for her Dad was that he
was a musician.
Anna’s musical interest likely began at an early age influenced by her
parents while she grew up at the “mouth of Thacker’s Branch” near Norton,
but her interest in learning to play a stringed instrument or clog dance
never surfaced until she and her husband, parents and some neighbors
attended a birthday party for Fred Peters in Josephine in 1977. From this
gathering stimulated weekly musical jam sessions held at a log cabin, the
second Country Cabin, owned and offered to use by Fred located at the foot
of Stone Mountain in Josephine (on the hill opposite of Fred’s home). These
meetings were stemmed from a curiosity for the mountain heritage and
created a desire to revive the music and dance of this heritage. Other local
musicians began to drift by on Saturday evenings and a neighbor girlfriend
(Nancy Kirk) and Anna began the search to find someone who could teach
them the traditional dances to go with the music. They were successful in
locating not one, but two girls, (sisters Jenny Hill and Sandra Hensley,
daughters of local musician J.T. Greear) who had clog and folk dance
training at the Berea Christmas School of Dance, Berea, Ky. And also with
John McCutcheon at Clinch Valley College in Wise, Va. The sisters came to
the cabin and taught clog and square dancing to individuals there. Jenny
and Sandra taught them mountain style square dancing and the basic clog
steps at the second Country Cabin known as the Stone Mountain
Community Center. From these lessons, a traditional Appalachian dancer
and educator was born.
Anna and Nancy soon learned of a clog workshop in Fontana Village, NC over
Easter weekend which they attended with their husbands. That was the spark
that inspired them to take their training to the public.
Anna’s personal travels has allowed her to take her zeal for her mountain
dance to other nations (France, Mexico, Hawaii, Portugal, Spain, Austria,
etc.) This has proven to be a very exciting and educational experience as she
has been able to share and swap dances. The trip to Hawaii’s Polynesian
Culture Center in 1980 was a real treat as she and her husband Spencer
visited a native musician who was playing the ukulele in a catchy, rhythmic
beat and she found her feet moving to the beat. A very broad smile erupted
across the musician’s face and tourists were watching in amazement. One
gentleman in the crowd whispered to his wife, “I think she’s square dancing.”
Of course, she had to set them straight on what it was she was actually
doing. They then proceeded to the Tahitian Village where some of us
participated in lessons to do the dance of the “otea” (hula dance of Tahiti).
This was a very enlightening training experience.
Anna is the founder and director of a group of cloggers, the Virginia
Sugarcane Cloggers of Norton, Va. who performs all over southwestern
Virginia, eastern Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina. They have served
as ambassadors of Appalachian dance and culture in their travels. She
founded the team in 1977 as a duet with Nancy Kirk at what is now known as
the (first - built in 1939, then revived in 1979), Country Cabin. She also
formed and directed a country line dance group, the Raisin’ Cane Country
Dancers from 1992 to 1994 from classes she taught at the Holiday Inn in
Norton. They enjoyed several local performances and sometimes in
conjunction with her clog team.
