When I got chosen to be on the high school softball team, I was only in the 8th grade. Impressed? (Not enough people signed up, so they went digging into junior high. My future sister-in-law Cassie was dug up as well!) We went to the first practice and were told to go buy cleats so we could slide into bases. At that point, we were confident we would actually be sliding into bases and not just sitting the bench, so we went to buy cleats. My mom sent my big brother Tim to help me pick out my cleats. Tim pulled several off the shelf and told me to try them on. I did. I shyly began suggesting others until he was onto my scheme. He said, "Sara, you just want shoes that make a lot of noise when you walk!!!" He was right. I wanted to be heard when I walked to practice, after all I was an 8th grader on the varsity team! Well, the point of this is that my girls all signed up for clogging club. They were bouncing off the walls when they came home and told me it was being offered...I said, "Oh wow! You get to learn to dance! I've seen clogging on America's Got Talent last summer!" They responded, "Yea! And we get to get clickers on our shoes!" and "You can only wear your taps on tile!" and "You should hear how loud they are!" and suddenly I remembered my cleats! I have thought from the beginning that it was all about the sound, but after seeing their stellar performance on Monday afternoon, I think they also learned a thing or two. Thanks to Miss Newcomer who gave of her time to teach them. I confess I once googled Miss Newcomer. She's all over the internet...seems she was the 4H queen. I am yet to find something she can't do. I've included a video clip of Mary Erin, and Miss Newcomer, clogging.
10 comments:
Sara,
I remember when I was a young girl I used to stick thumbtacks on the bottoms of my shoes. They made a nice sound in the halls at school, but not so much as to draw a teacher's attention. There's nothing like a little tapping sound to make you step smartly!
Love,
Cindy (Cassin)
Ah, well I had to comment to this one! How sweet Mary Erin looks!! Isn't that neat. I, too, remember thumbtacks on the bottom of shoes to make noise and that was before any of you were born! :)
By the way, are you familiar with the music Ms. Newcomer is dancing to? It is Boots Randolph's Yakety Sax . . . Also before your time. I couldn't quite tell if that was a recording of him playing it but it was his composition. How do I know? Why we saw him perform him back in the "old days." My dad loved him and I have a reel-to-reel tape from those days with Boots Randolph music.
Thanks for stirring more memories. Gotta run. David is locked out of his building??? What are wives for?
Love,
Melanie
Hey Sara, that is cool. Great job girls! It is especially good that you can do it on the wall with out falling off. TEEHee Mom
whooo hoooo!!! i love the clogging! so much fun! Mary Erin looks like a pro already! the pictures are great too!!! i used to come to your softball games...you were cool being ont he team and only in 8th grade! :)
I love the comments, thanks everyone!!! I really liked her music choices, but you are right, it is before my time. I better not let my kids see this, or I may be missing some thumbtacks soon!
What's bad Sara is I feel like you and I are the same age and it really stuns me when I realize how much age difference there is. When I realize I was listening to Boots Randolph, Pete Fountain (also sax) and Herb Alpert and his Tijuana Brass before you were born. OUCH! :)) Your age is just right, I am the "old" one . . . Melanie
OOPS!!! Correction: Pete Fountain was the clarinet . . . Boots was sax!! More of that old age affecting me. Ha!
Ok, I do have to say...I used to roller skate (when skates had 4 wheels) in our basement to Tijuana Brass...on a record. I have told my kids about those enormous black cd's that you had to be careful not to scratch with a needle! But, Melanie, I was in elementary school then still. :)
Wasn't Herb Alpert fabulous? I still love to hear that type music.
The whole age thing is mind over matter, I guess. "If you don't mind, it don't matter." You can tell I'm still in the 'minding' phase. :)
M
Maybe ole Aunt Cassie can teach them a few square dancing steps this summer to compliment their clogging!! I still have my petticoat although it hits my upper thighs now!!
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