Hill Country Cloggers Spreading Clogging Cheer
by Amy Modesti
For thirty-two years, the Hill Country Cloggers have been spreading their joy of clogging all over the Capital Region and beyond. In 1988, eight people formed this organization based on their love of clogging. Sixty-five members are involved in this local non-for-profit organization. The group members range in age from 7 years old to 90 plus. Some of these members who clog are families; sisters clogging in unison, moms clogging with their children, and grandchildren clogging with their grandparents in their wooden dance squares during rehearsal. Hill Country Cloggers teach clogging in the Brunswick Grange in Center Brunswick and in Hoosick Falls.
Practice is held every Tuesday and Thursday evening at the Brunswick Grange. In addition to these practices, a small group of dancers gather on Tuesday mornings to clog at the West Hoosick Baptist Church. The cloggers dance to all genres of music; pop, rock, rap, oldies, Irish, Christian, and anything with a great dance beat. They clog at county fairs, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, church festivals, apple orchards and are slated to compete in the North East Clogging Competition in Burlington, VT in March 2021.
Normally, the group puts on 40-50 demonstrations yearly. However, due to the pandemic, they haven’t performed in front of an audience since March. For this year, Hill Country Cloggers decided that the one way to show their appreciation for their fans was to produce a Christmas clogging video performance that was emailed to twenty-five nursing homes. In addition to their video, the child dancers made 70 home-made pinecone ornaments and wreaths that were delivered to Schuyler Ridge Nursing Home in Clifton Park on December 5. This was the first video that Hill Country Cloggers made for their fans at the nursing homes.
“It’s good family entertainment,” said Fran Beaudoin. Upon observing the children practicing their routines on a Tuesday evening at the Brunswick Grange, one can see how families come together to clog. Watching these young dancers, some of whom were sisters, cousins, a mother and son dancing, was entertaining. Watching them clog makes you jump off your seat to dance with them, social distance clogging is in full effect. Their love of dance and clogging is infectious and their love of what they do was shared with their community through their holiday video.
Hill Country Cloggers is looking for new dancers to learn clogging in September 2021. Anyone interested in clogging or supporting Hill Country Cloggers can contact Fran Beaudoin at 518-279-3067 or email booking@hillcountrycloggers.org. Visit their webpage at www.hillcountrycloggers.org or their Facebook page: Hill Country Cloggers.