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 initial tutor was Jean Smith of the Instep Research Team, though various workshops and teaching sessions provide other ideas and inspiration.

There are currently five dancers - Jeff Garner, Deb Smith, Carol Johnson, Jo Evans, Catherine Barber - and a musician. We very 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 the Village Hall in Staveley, near Knaresborough. There is not a regular practice night - practices are arranged on an ad-hoc basis, but are usually on a Monday.

The current repertoire is based around a list of about 20 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:

Clogfest 2010, Whitby Folk Week 2010, Clogfest 2008

A video of our Westmorland Reel by Viv Graham at Knaresborugh's FEVA in 2015


Dance Routine Tune
North East Waltz Routine Michael Turner’s Waltz (Mozart 6 Deutsche Tanze No. 2 KV536)
"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 Steps - a medley from several different dancers Mr Gubbins' Bicycle - a composition by Kojn Kirkpatrick
Westmorland Reel Stockton Hornpipe
Lancashire Heel and Toe ("A" routine) Alexandra Park
Sam Sherry's Hornpipe Swalwell Lasses
Sam Sherry's Jig Alistair J Sim - a composition by Willie Taylor
Sam Sherry's Easy Waltz The Vine Tree - a composition by Paul Burgess
Alex Woodcock's "Lily of Laguna" Lily of Laguna
Dot Murphy's Hornpipe Henry Cave's Hornpipe
French Canadian Steps Polka Chinoise
Pat Tracey's Intermediate Waltz Flowers of Ashgill
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
Pat Tracey's 3 Speed Waltz Maguire and Patterson, Snowday Waltz, After The Ball Is Over (Chorus only)
Pat Tracey's Lancashire Heel and Toe "C" routine The Last of June (from Rose Murphy)
Liverpool Hornpipe Liverpool Hornpipe
Proper Copper An Ordinary Copper (Theme music for "Dixon of Dock Green")
   
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.
Mrs Willis's "Woodland Flowers" Woodland Flowers and Uncle Jim's Barn Dance
Sam Sherry's Original Waltz Wenlock Edge - a composition by Michael Raven
Sam Sherry's Reel Bonny Banchory
Alex Woodcock's Ragtime Steps Music! Music! Music! (Put another nickel in) by Stephan Weiss / Bernie Baum
   

Joint Morris Organisations Day of Dance in York on St George's Day 2016 and organised by Minster Strays.

This photo shows a new kit for the women and a new dancer, Cath Barber in purple.

We also performed a new dance in public for the first time - Sam Sherry's Jig.

Everyone is also checking that the right foot is still attached to the right leg!

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!

Clennel Hall Folk Festival, 9th - 11th May 2008

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.
White Rose Morris Men's Nidderdale Tour 7th June 2008

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 very long gap, "Clog It 5" was held over the weekend of 27th and 28th April 2013 with guests Strictly Clog and Two Step.