Deep concentration mixed with a twinge of joy is evident on the woman’s face. As she steps to the beat of a slow country tune as a warm-up, her curled white hair remains perfectly intact in its up-do. Her black slacks and white Western-style collared blouse seem delicate yet appropriate for the music.
Sylvia Frazier is a petite and vibrant 87-year-old trying something new. Her newest hobby is clogging – not exactly a movement that’s sweeping the nation or even La Plata County, but it’s an activity its adherents say is a great way to remain active and healthy.
Now, with black tap shoes and the willingness to learn the steps to a new jig, she joins the Durango Country Cloggers for its weekly session at the American Legion Post No. 28. The group has been practicing in the facility for more than 10 years.
Though she’s a beginner, Frazier’s rhythmically inclined – perhaps because of her background in square-dancing. Though she’s not always graceful – especially during difficult songs – she manages to catch up to the fast-moving, more experienced group and even has a piece of paper handy with the steps in case she needs a reference.
Frazier acquired the hobby about a year ago for aerobic exercise, as she feels it is important to remain active and healthy. Plus, it’s fun, she said.
“Keep moving, don’t stop,” she advised.
Country clogging – despite its perception – does not entail the use of wooden shoes. In fact, double-tap shoes are commonly used. The club’s leader, Cindy Greer, assures that any type of shoe can be used to practice but the shoes are meant to produce a desirable “ping” sound to the beat of the music.
Greer’s first clogging shoes, about 20 years ago, were a pair of tennis shoes with metal taps glued on, she said. She has since then upgraded to a fancier double-tap shoe.
Longtime club member Joni Bender, 61, began clogging about 20 years ago with Greer when the class was taught by the club’s founder Betty Lazo. Lazo, at age 85, continues clogging in her North Carolina residence. The club once welcomed several participants ranging in age but has dwindled over the years. The group is now made up of about five to seven members (depending on the season). At Wednesday’s practice, four were in attendance.
Janice Taylor, 73, joined the group about eight years ago and considers herself to be an intermediate dancer.
The club not only dances for fun, but to bring joy to others. Twice a year, the group preforms at Four Corners Health Care Center, a local nursing home. The audience is well-natured and forgiving when a dancer messes up during a routine, Bender said.
“They’re very appreciative,” she said.
The women try to schedule performances on Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day for the nursing home residents.
Dance of the Appalachians
Country clogging originated in the Appalachian region as European settlers came to the United States and influenced dance, music and culture. Irish, Scottish, English and Dutch-Germans combined various stepping styles and used the eclectic form of dance as a way of expressing their newly found freedom, according to the The Doubletoe Times Magazine of Clogging, a magazine for clogging enthusiasts.
Greer, who has background in tap and ballet, sees the dance style as a mixture of Irish stepping, tap-dancing and flat-footing, she said. It has various influences and since then has been adapted to the region.
Additionally, clogging in the U.S. tends to be done to country-western, but rock and hip-hop music have been used.
“Anything with a good beat works,” Greer said as the others agreed.
Songs are also rated at different difficulty levels.
“All of it is easier said than done,” Frazier said.
Greer and Bender have memorized the steps to more than 100 songs. However, both women said the steps are not universal.
Currently, the group consist of only women, but the members said men do clog. However, some of the steps and routines can differ for men and women.
Though most of the women have some sort of dance background ranging from ballet to square-dancing, they mostly gather as a way to exercise. While some women may prefer the new-age Zumba, these women prefer clogging.
It’s a fun way to build leg strength and increase heart rate, Greer said.
Though the club does not advertise membership, it is perfectly willing to accept new cloggers. However, people on the fence of joining are encouraged to sit in on a practice first. There are no club dues, but the cost to rent the facility is $20 a day, which is split among members.
The club meets every Wednesday from 1 to 3 p.m. in the back ballroom of the American Legion.
And for those who are rhythmically challenged or just learning, the steps are rehearsed in parts, practiced repetitively and documented on paper. The club even has the technology to make the songs run slower for teaching purposes.
“It’s a blessing, I’ll tell you,” Frazier said.
vguthrie@durangoherald.com
