Cane Creek Cloggers bring longtime tradition across the state

CORRECTIONS: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the Apple Chill Cloggers gave free lessons at a train station in the mountains of North Carolina. The group gave free lessons at The Station, a former train station in Carrboro. The article also incorrectly stated that Jean Healy and Diana Montgomery were among the members of the Apple Chill Cloggers and later in the 1980s joined other neighbors interested in traditional dance and formed the Cane Creek Cloggers. Jean Healy took lessons with the Apple Chill Cloggers, and in 1980 formed the Cane Creek Cloggers with Diana Montgomery and other friends interested in traditional dance. The story has been updated with the correct location of the Apple Chill Clogger's free lessons and for clarification on the formation of Cane Creek Cloggers. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for this error. 

The Cane Creek Cloggers performed at Festifall Arts Festival Sunday to an audience of dozens who clapped their hands to the rhythm of folk music. 

A performing dance troupe that specializes in Appalachian-style clog dancing, the Cane Creek Cloggers share their love of clogging at festivals, conventions, street fairs and schools throughout North Carolina.

Cloggers have been around for more than 300 years, creating rhythms with percussion by feet and hamboning.

The Cane Creek Cloggers is the third iteration of a local clogging dance group. In the 1970s, members of the Green Grass Cloggers formed another clogging group known as the Apple Chill Cloggers that gave free lessons at The Station, a former train station in Carrboro. 

Jean Healy took lessons with the Apple Chill Cloggers, and in 1980 formed the Cane Creek Cloggers with Diana Montgomery and other friends interested in traditional dance. 

Ruth Pershing, a longtime member, has been clogging with the group for 33 years. 

“So, when I was 18, I first thought of clogging," Pershing said. "I knew that it was something I wanted to be able to learn, so I started to learn it right away a little bit from Green Grass Cloggers and a little bit from traditional dancers.”

Elyse Keefe, a native from the mountains of North Carolina, joined the Cane Creek Cloggers in 2012 out of her love for dancing.

“I grew up seeing a lot of clogging, but I grew up tap dancing myself,” Keefe said. “While I was living in Galicia in Spain, I learned how to do the Galician folk dance and, decided that when I came back, I really wanted to learn my own folk dance and thought of clogging, and found Cane Creek Cloggers, and so I joined the group then.” 

Keefe said she truly enjoys performing with the group, especially wearing the traditional clothing. 

“We practice once a week, and do performances throughout the year, mostly at festivals,” Keefe said. “We always perform with the live band, and try to have very high energy and fun performances.”

Bill Barnett, a software engineer for Microsoft, has been dancing with Cane Creek Cloggers since 2006. 

“It’s fun. It’s good exercise. We are a group," Barnett said. "It’s a team kind of working together to produce something pretty neat, that people enjoy, so I like that. I like the team aspect.” 

Barnett described the dance team as an “extra family” and had a lot of fun traveling to Michigan to perform at a music festival in front of a big crowd. 

Pershing thinks the importance of clogging comes from the people. 

“Clogging is one of the most joyful type of dances that I can imagine. It brings joy to people,” Pershing said. “People smile. People are happy. They walk away feeling better. If we can bring joy to people and help people come together with wherever, whatever their worlds are, to smile together and be together and build community together and make their own entertainment and share it, I think that's a really important thing.”

arts@dailytarheel.com