Clogging: A Brief History of Clog Dancers

The clog Dance or clogging is the most popular form of the Folk Dance. Barney Williams who arrived in U.S in 1840, was the first person who took clog dancing as a profession. Irish clog dancers became the first professional troupe in the U.S. The clog dance became the basis for tap dance as well.

In the beginning, the clog dance was done on complete wooden shoes, but later it made use of shoes with wooden soles only. In 1760s' due to migration, clogging found its way in the Appalachian Mountain Area. Due to this diversification and encounters with different cultures, clogging evolved into the American clog dance and various other American dance forms. 

Clog contests were quite trendy in the 19th century where judges were more focused on the sounds produced rather than body postures of the dancers.

The most complex form of clogging are the Irish Jigs, Hornpipes and Reels. In these forms, in a span of fifteen seconds, the feet taps the floor around seventy times. The fascinating part of clogging is its absolute dissimilarity from other dance forms as there is no role of facial expressions. Also, the arms are kept motionless. The black crook, which is regarded as the first musical performed in 1866, introduced the minstrel and clog dancers who had an inflexible way of dancing. They were later came to be known as pedestal dancers. The Pedestal dancer would stand on a marbled or gilded pedestal, apparently like a statue. As soon as the show would begin, they would start clogging on the pedestal, only moving their feet and legs.

 

The minstrel clog dancers gradually came to be associated with tap dancing in the early 1900’s. Master Juba became the most famous name among them. For a long time both tap and clog dance remained synonymous. This proved to be detrimental for the originality of clog dance as it was gradually fused with the African-American shuffle dance by the end of 19^th century. 

In 1902, a musical play called ‘Minstrel Misses’ which was directed by Ned Wayburn brought the term ‘Tap and Step dance’ in people’s notice. It was from there, the popularity of tap dance took off and people started accepting it as a profession. The Misses performed in light clogs sandals with split wooden soles as the aluminum heel and toes taps were not present at that time.

How to Keep Your Wooden Clogs Away From Wear And Tear?

Wooden clogs will never go out of fashion.  No matter how trendy they look, they still need to be taken care of as the wood may get damaged anytime if it knocked into something. When it comes to the ankle straps, the buckle must be opened while taking the shoe on or off to prevent any deformation in the shape of the leather strap. 

To maintain the resistance of the natural leather to moisture and dirt, small amount of oil or other leather product can be applied depending on the type leather. It can help in giving the leather a darker tone that enhance its look. The clogs made from such leather can be put out in the sun to produce a tanning effect which looks equally good. If the wood is not varnished or stained, a small amount of olive oil can also be applied to the soles to make them resistive to moisture and dirt.

How to clean your wooden clogs?

The best way to clean women wooden clogs is to use a damp cloth, or even soap water. A light sand paper can also effectively take care of the scratches and dents.  

Also the wooden clogs consist of open grains that help to drive out excessive moisture from the wood. This is why you can have a pat dry feet and a comfortable experience with women wooden clogs. So it becomes all the more necessary to let the clogs dry slowly as hurrying up the process can cause the wood to crack.  

The type of leather used must also be considered

1.       Leather with a natural sheen

These kind of leathers are very easy to clean as they have a smooth finish. A damp cloth must be used to get rid of any dirt on the leather.

2.       Nubuck & Suede:

Here again you should use a damp cloth to remove the surface dirt. Having done that, go for Nubuck & Swede to remove the persisting stains on the surface of the leather. A better option is to go for a spray to insulate the outer layer of the leather from stains and dirt. For attaining best results, try it when the wooden clogs are brand new.

Wooden Clogs: A Reflection of Sweden’s Sensuality

The Swedish culture has always been an interesting and balanced mix of values and sex appeal, but these two mustn’t be seen from the conventional prism.

It’s interesting that Sweden has a reputation for being sexy –not because they have a thing for sexy attires but because they unapologetically celebrates nudity, but lately they are on a spree of Europeanizing themselves. The time of 1980’s when people were unabashed enough to romp topless on beach has surely faded away and Sweden has become more conservative as a country, but surprisingly enough the unique perception that the country has for sensuality still persists. Traditionally when it comes to sensuality, Sweden has preferred to be as natural as it can. In other words their conception of sensuality is not flimsy as found to be in other countries.  

The craze they have for the wooden clogs (men and women) propagates the same idea through the retro Swedish sultriness associated with them, which is not at all the overtly fabricated stereotype, but is rather pure. The prominent sensuality of Swedish wooden clogs is a fascinating blend of the feminine fashion and good old Swedish design or lagom, as called in Sweden. All of Swedish clogs are products of natural grain leather and wood. The shoes are sustainable, long-lasting, and handmade, and are highly biodegradable, thus playing their part in propelling the eco-friendliness. 

Talking about the connectivity of the Swedish clogs with rest of the world, Sweden has relatively smaller market and niche products are seldom held back in such economies. They always make way into bigger international markets by generating buzz through the social media. This new generation Swedish people are well in tune with the pulse of the international market and are adventurous enough to go for start-up. They are being raised in a more creatively enlightened Sweden that has opened its arms for free education, social security, funding its young entrepreneurs who dare to think big. In such an open economy people can believe in their ideas which will surely lead to a Sweden that will have an equal share of style, sex, and an ambition to be a part of a wider world.