| November/December Feature Instructor: Mary Smith of the Blue Ridge Thunder Cloggers |
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Editor's Note: As cloggers, we all have our
influences - those who inspire us and teach
us not only how to clog but why to clog. For
me, I have to say one of those people is
Mary Smith. I remember learning from her
at Potomac Double Down when I was young
enough to point at her and say "I wanna do
that when I get older." I remember seeing
(and still see) Mary dancing, having fun,
goofing off, and just being herself. And
most importantly, I remember watching
(and still watch) Mary interact with her
team, the Blue Ridge Thunder Cloggers. On
the faces of her students I see the love and
respect that each of them have for their
instructor. Mary has definitely influenced
me and the way I run my teams - with love,
influences - those who inspire us and teach
us not only how to clog but why to clog. For
me, I have to say one of those people is
Mary Smith. I remember learning from her
at Potomac Double Down when I was young
enough to point at her and say "I wanna do
that when I get older." I remember seeing
(and still see) Mary dancing, having fun,
goofing off, and just being herself. And
most importantly, I remember watching
(and still watch) Mary interact with her
team, the Blue Ridge Thunder Cloggers. On
the faces of her students I see the love and
respect that each of them have for their
instructor. Mary has definitely influenced
me and the way I run my teams - with love,
Mary is a native of the plains of rural northeastern Montana. The roots of
clogging lie deep in her heritage as her grandparents include natives of
Ireland and the mountains of southwestern Virginia.
Mary moved to Austin, Texas, in the early 1980’s upon college
graduation, and it was there that she took a class in beginning clog
dancing. She got on stage for the first time as a performer in the spring
on 1988 and by 1990 was teaching the beginner lessons for her group, the
Clickey Cloggers. At this time, she also became the director of the group’s
exhibition team and began choreographing routines. She continued in
that capacity until a job change brought her to the Washington, D.C. area
in the fall of 1995. She was no longer clogging with a group but returned
to Texas twice a year to teach at clogging workshops.
In June of 1997, Mary was approached by a member of a local clogging
group whose instructor was moving. She was asked to fill the instructor’s
shoes. The group reorganized and the Blue Ridge Thunder Cloggers were
born.
clogging lie deep in her heritage as her grandparents include natives of
Ireland and the mountains of southwestern Virginia.
Mary moved to Austin, Texas, in the early 1980’s upon college
graduation, and it was there that she took a class in beginning clog
dancing. She got on stage for the first time as a performer in the spring
on 1988 and by 1990 was teaching the beginner lessons for her group, the
Clickey Cloggers. At this time, she also became the director of the group’s
exhibition team and began choreographing routines. She continued in
that capacity until a job change brought her to the Washington, D.C. area
in the fall of 1995. She was no longer clogging with a group but returned
to Texas twice a year to teach at clogging workshops.
In June of 1997, Mary was approached by a member of a local clogging
group whose instructor was moving. She was asked to fill the instructor’s
shoes. The group reorganized and the Blue Ridge Thunder Cloggers were
born.
| ~INSTRUCTOR'S Q & A~ |
Q: How and where did you begin clogging? Who
or what was responsible in getting you started?
A: I began clogging in Austin, Texas. I had seen the
dance form on TV as a kid, didn’t know what it was
called, but knew I wanted to learn how to dance like
that. After moving to Austin for my first job out of
college, I saw a group performing “that kind” of
dancing in a local mall, learned it was called
clogging and set out to find some lessons. The rest,
as they say, is history.
Q: What is your earliest clogging memory?
A: I guess my first clogging memory would be my
beginner class. After a class or two of step, step,
step and rock step, rock stop, rock step in a circle, I
thought surely I had signed up for the wrong class.
Once I learned the double toe, that worry
disappeared.
Q: What is your favorite clogging memory?
A: Every time a new clogger’s face lights up after
finally getting a step they have struggled with for
some time. And every time an audience member
tells us we made them smile and brightened their
day. Those times make up my favorite clogging
memories.
Q: What is your funniest clogging memory?
A: Well, as goofy as I am, that list could be long! The
first one that comes to mind is one of the times
BRTC was performing at the Cherry Blossom Festival
in front of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington,
DC. Right in the middle of announcing our next
song, a platoon of Marines jogged by in their tight T-
shirts and shorts. All I could think to say (and right
into the microphone, I might add) was “Whoa!” I was
rendered speechless, which is hard to do, and almost
jumped off the stage to join them. Actually, one of
my dancers did go running after them, if I recall…
Q: Please list the team (or teams) you have
performed with in the past.
A: I have performed with two teams in my clogging
career – the Clickety Cloggers in Austin, Texas and
Blue Ridge Thunder in Loudoun County, Virginia.
Q: Traditional? Contemporary? Or good mix of
both?
A: Both my teams have danced to a mixture of music
genres.
Q: Competing? Performing? Or both?
A: Both groups have primarily been performance
groups. I have competed with both teams but it has
never been the focus of either group.
Q: Top three favorite clogging events.
A; In Texas, my top three events were probably the
Cloggers’ Showcase on the River Walk in San
Antonio, the Armadillo Stampede and the Texas
Cloggers’ Rally. I hate to pick only three events that
my group does in Virginia. I wouldn’t want to leave
anything or anyone out. ;-)
Q: Favorite Clogging Step.
A: I guess I would say anything flat footing.
Q: What do you enjoy most about Clogging?
A: I love the feeling of family that I have enjoyed in
both my groups. My best friends have always been
friends I’ve made in clogging. And you can’t beat
clogging as a fun form of exercise as well.
Q: Clogging influence. For example, is there a
particular instructor or dancer of whom made a
difference in your career or who you follow or
enjoy the style of?
A: Wow, another tough one… I guess early on, it was
Jeff Driggs. He has a knack of being able to break
things down into easy to learn pieces when teaching
a step or series of steps. When I first started
teaching at workshops in Texas, I probably tried to
imitate his style of teaching more than anyone else’
s. Steve Smith is also a favorite for his flat footing
influence. The older I get, the more I prefer more
traditional style steps. Perhaps it’s because I can’t
do toe stands and double doubles. ;-) Flat footing is
nice and low to the ground – right up my alley.
or what was responsible in getting you started?
A: I began clogging in Austin, Texas. I had seen the
dance form on TV as a kid, didn’t know what it was
called, but knew I wanted to learn how to dance like
that. After moving to Austin for my first job out of
college, I saw a group performing “that kind” of
dancing in a local mall, learned it was called
clogging and set out to find some lessons. The rest,
as they say, is history.
Q: What is your earliest clogging memory?
A: I guess my first clogging memory would be my
beginner class. After a class or two of step, step,
step and rock step, rock stop, rock step in a circle, I
thought surely I had signed up for the wrong class.
Once I learned the double toe, that worry
disappeared.
Q: What is your favorite clogging memory?
A: Every time a new clogger’s face lights up after
finally getting a step they have struggled with for
some time. And every time an audience member
tells us we made them smile and brightened their
day. Those times make up my favorite clogging
memories.
Q: What is your funniest clogging memory?
A: Well, as goofy as I am, that list could be long! The
first one that comes to mind is one of the times
BRTC was performing at the Cherry Blossom Festival
in front of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington,
DC. Right in the middle of announcing our next
song, a platoon of Marines jogged by in their tight T-
shirts and shorts. All I could think to say (and right
into the microphone, I might add) was “Whoa!” I was
rendered speechless, which is hard to do, and almost
jumped off the stage to join them. Actually, one of
my dancers did go running after them, if I recall…
Q: Please list the team (or teams) you have
performed with in the past.
A: I have performed with two teams in my clogging
career – the Clickety Cloggers in Austin, Texas and
Blue Ridge Thunder in Loudoun County, Virginia.
Q: Traditional? Contemporary? Or good mix of
both?
A: Both my teams have danced to a mixture of music
genres.
Q: Competing? Performing? Or both?
A: Both groups have primarily been performance
groups. I have competed with both teams but it has
never been the focus of either group.
Q: Top three favorite clogging events.
A; In Texas, my top three events were probably the
Cloggers’ Showcase on the River Walk in San
Antonio, the Armadillo Stampede and the Texas
Cloggers’ Rally. I hate to pick only three events that
my group does in Virginia. I wouldn’t want to leave
anything or anyone out. ;-)
Q: Favorite Clogging Step.
A: I guess I would say anything flat footing.
Q: What do you enjoy most about Clogging?
A: I love the feeling of family that I have enjoyed in
both my groups. My best friends have always been
friends I’ve made in clogging. And you can’t beat
clogging as a fun form of exercise as well.
Q: Clogging influence. For example, is there a
particular instructor or dancer of whom made a
difference in your career or who you follow or
enjoy the style of?
A: Wow, another tough one… I guess early on, it was
Jeff Driggs. He has a knack of being able to break
things down into easy to learn pieces when teaching
a step or series of steps. When I first started
teaching at workshops in Texas, I probably tried to
imitate his style of teaching more than anyone else’
s. Steve Smith is also a favorite for his flat footing
influence. The older I get, the more I prefer more
traditional style steps. Perhaps it’s because I can’t
do toe stands and double doubles. ;-) Flat footing is
nice and low to the ground – right up my alley.
respect, and, of course, a little humor. She is a great dancer, a devoted
clogger, a kind person, and I'm sure I am not the first person nor the last
person this lady will influence.
clogger, a kind person, and I'm sure I am not the first person nor the last
person this lady will influence.
| Mary dancing at the Bastrop Yesterfest in 1993 |
| December 1988 |
| Winning first place at her first competition in 1989 |
| Mary's first clogging performance in 1988 |
| Mary's shenanigans at a Blue Ridge Thunder performance in 2008 |
| Blue Ridge Thunder Cloggers 2006 |
| More shenanigans! |
| Mary and her adoring fans at the 2011 Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C. |