Traditional folk music, dance and customs - Harrogate, North Yorkshire - Chas Marshall's Website
|
A Harrogate-based clog step dance team formed in 2002 who perform a variety of routines and steps from Westmorland, Canada, Lancashire and the North East. The routines are danced to dotted hornpipes, waltzes, jigs, reels, schottisches and undotted hornpipes. Their primary tutor is Jean Smith of the Instep Research Team, though various workshops and teaching sessions provide other ideas and inspiration. There are currently four dancers - Jeff Garner, Deb Smith, Carol Johnson, Jo Evans - and a musician. We occasionally have a visit from our "young 'uns", Ben Clarke and Catriona Barker, when the team's average age plummets! Practices generally take place at Park Grove Methodist Hall in Knaresborough. There is not a regular practice night - practices are arranged on an ad-hoc basis, but are usually on a Monday or Thursday. The current repertoire is based around 18 dances, though not all of these are danced in public. Details are shown below. The photo taken by Dave Williams alongside demonstrates the old Clogarhythm motto "When all else fails - wave your arms about"! Skipton, Clogfest 2009. For further information contact Jeff or Debbie on 01423-865086 Some YouTube clips of our dancing can be viewed here: |
|
| Dance Routine | Tune |
| North East Waltz Routine | Michael Turner's Waltz |
| "Jean's Schottische" | There they are - the two of 'em - on their own. A music hall song composed by Geo. Le Brunn and E Nevin. |
| North East Hornpipe Routine - a medley of steps from several different dancers | Tun Dish - by kind permission of John Kirkpatrick |
| Westmorland Reel | Stockton Hornpipe |
| Lancashire Heel and Toe | Alexandra Park |
| Sam Sherry's Hornpipe | Swalwell Lasses |
| Sam Sherry's Reel | Bonny Banchory |
| Sam Sherry's Jig | The Plane Tree- a composition by Undine Hornby |
| Mrs Willis's "Woodland Flowers" | Woodland Flowers and Uncle Jim's Barn Dance |
| Sam Sherry's Easy Waltz | The Vine Tree - a composition by Paul Burgess |
| Sam Sherry's Original Waltz | Wenlock Edge - a composition by Michael Raven |
| Alex Woodcock's "Lily of Laguna" | Lily of Laguna |
| Alex Woodcock's Ragtime Steps | Music! Music! Music! (Put another nickel in) by Stephan Weiss / Bernie Baum |
| Dot Murphy's Hornpipe | Henry Cave's Hornpipe |
| French Canadian Steps | Polka Chinoise |
| Pat Tracey's Intermediate Waltz | Harry Gidley's Waltz |
| Pat Tracey's Lancashire Irish steps | Pippa Sandford - a composition by Will Atkinson. Hear a snippet of the tune. |
| Pat Tracey's Slow Hornpipe | The Steamboat Hornpipe |
| Pat Tracey's Number One Hornpipe | The Malthouse Hornpipe |
| Liverpool Hornpipe | Liverpool Hornpipe |
| Anna Marley Soft Shoe (Pictures from Clennel Hall May 2007) | An Ordinary Copper (Theme music for "Dixon of Dock Green") followed by Maybe its because I'm a Londoner. |
 |
The Clogarhythm Cabaret!Clogarhythm stages a regular one hour show, based around our folk music and clog dancing heritage, for groups of people on the Senior Tours Canada "Northern and Central England" trips. This is how their brochure describes Day 5 of the Spring 2011 tour: "HARROGATE AT LEISURE - a day at leisure. Your Tour Manager will offer suggestions. After dinner we will be entertained by local talent". Our cabaret includes a variety of dances, both group and solo performances, interspersed with selections of country dance music, dialect poetry and other readings. These events generally take place in the larger hotels in Harrogate and our performances have taken us to the Hotel St George, The Old Swan and The Crown. |
 |
|
Whitby Folk Week 2010 - Deb, Jeff, Catriona, Ben, Carol and Chas |
Whitby Folk Week 2010 - Ben displaying his dancing skill and youthful agility |
|
Rain is no deterrent as Carol and Debbie perform their Lancashire Heel and Toe routine complete with umbrellas! At the Bridge Inn, Foster Beck on the Nidderdale Tour with White Rose Morris Men. Saturday 4 June 2005 |
Carol and Jeff : take-off! |
|
Debbie, Jeff, Carol and Chas in Ludlow, Saturday 18 June 2005 |
Chas, Jeff and Deb at Skipton Clogfest 2004 |
|
Heel and Toe for three - Carol, Jo and Deb - Clogfest 2009 |
The Three Tuns, Bishops Castle, Sunday 19 June 2005.This was part of the Shropshire Bedlams and Marth Rhoden's Tuppeny Dish Midsummer Rejoicing. |
|
We couldn't resist including this shot from Clogfest 2006, put together by our friends from Inclognito! |
Jo and Jeff outside the Yorke Arms
in Ramsgill. |
Clog It!
Clogarhythm held their first "Clog It Weekend" in 2005 with guests Jean Smith, InClognito and Carlisle's Old Spice Girls. This involved a tour of dance spots in Ripon during the day on Saturday with a session of songs, music and dance at a country pub on Saturday night. On Sunday morning the Old Spice Girls ran a French Canadian step workshop followed by some more dance spots in Harrogate's Valley Gardens.
Our second "Clog It Weekend" was held in Harrogate and Ripon over the weekend of 16th and 17th September 2006. Our guests once again included our good friends InClognito and the Old Spice Girls. This year we are also delighted to welcome Jo and Sophie Evans from Shipley. From the weekend's collection we were able to donate £40 towards Clogfest 2007.
"Clog It 3" was held on September 6th/7th 2008 with Frank Lee and Georgia Shorrock, Inclognito, Two Step, Jo and Sophie Evans. Displays of step dancing took place in Harrogate on the Saturday and in Knaresborough on the Sunday.
"Clog it 4" took place on 3rd/4th October 2009 with our usual guests, who we collectively call "Our Friends from the North"
After a long gap the planning for "Clog It 5" is underway. This will be held over the weekend of 27th and 28th April 2013 with guests Strictly Clog and Two Step.