Change

Other minor differences are that most clogging steps and movements are just named differently than in the tapping tradition. The actual assumed history of clogging and tapping is that both came originally from Irish immigrants in the South. Some of these immigrants were jig dancers. White folks in the South picked it up and it became merged with country square and round dancing and called "clogging". Black slaves also picked it up and it became individual tap dancing often set to African rhythms. Most tap dancing is historically individually focused - just dancing alone - and also to jazz rhythm music with an emphasis on the "up" beat - syncopation. Then in the vaudeville age, a lot of hand action pro showmanship was added. When broadway shows and then movies came along, chorus line "group" choreographed precision tapping started.

Clogging was always more a social group dance activity to Irish heritage music - jigs and reels - and never went the professional stage route. People just did it in their homes and barns for the fun of doing it. And the emphasis is mostly on the "down" beat - non-syncopation. Nowadays, cloggers dance to all kinds of music - reasonably fast - with more line type choreographed precision routines. Fewer performing groups do the old time Kentucky Running Sets and big circle dances with dancers doing individual clog steps while doing all the called out figures.

But more and more amateur or even semi-pro clogging groups now do a lot of performance clogging for various audiences like at fairs and festivals.

The main thing is - it's fun to do. If you CAN do it and like that kind of music (actually just about ANY kind of medium to fast dance music) and like holding and twirling happy women in short skirt costumes in front of cheering crowds...who doesn't like that?

Actually, I liked our practices just as much. And I soon became really friendly with everyone in our group. Most of us would regularly stop for food and an adult beverage after every bi-weekly practice. And also after almost every exhibition. More than half the people were married, but only three married couples were in the group doing it all together. The other spouse's just generally accepted it gracefully, and most supported the hobby and came to practices and exhibitions or met us all afterwards for the relaxation together part.

There were two doctors, a nurse, and several IT professionals in our little group - along with two women who were more blue-collar and native Tennesseans, like me.

We all got along really, really well. It was like a whole new family for me - just loads better than my previous married family. Most of my life 'til now I had just focused on work and my family. I was just never much for socializing otherwise. Not even drinking with buddies after work. This new lifestyle was actually kind of nice.

Bill and Judy were one of the married couples. They both worked for a large multinational accounting firm in their IT department. Marilyn was a real good friend of Judy's especially. She was a schoolteacher. These people were all mid thirties. When I first showed up both Judy and Marilyn were two of the friendliest towards me. I just figured they were desperate to attract and keep other male dancers as most of their routines were "couples" routines and always looked best with traditional male-female couples performing. After the first couple of weeks Marilyn was pursuing me like Darlene first did back in college. Marilyn was pretty and nice but I just wasn't ready for another serious relationship - and I sure didn't want any drama or angst to develop in my new "family" situation with this group. She finally toned it down a bit and everything ended up fine.

One night when we were all out drinking after one of our practices at our favorite bar (with really good hamburgers and fries served) I ended up slow dancing with Judy to jukebox music. She flat out propositioned me. I was a little shocked to say the least.

"But...Bill? You guys having trouble?"

"Oh no, Joe. We are just fine. We just do this occasionally, you know? Try on some others for fun. JUST fun, no strings attached or anything. Bill's been with Marilyn three times and I've been with a couple of the other men here. We ARE careful and discrete. We all are. You didn't have a clue, right? That's why."

"Well, let me think about it OK? I AM flattered and very pleased you would ask me. And you know I find you sexy and attractive - eh?"

She pushed her pelvis into my hardon and giggled. I knew she felt it, of course.

"Oh, I think I believe that OK, Yes, sirree. That's one of the reasons right this minute I decided how I did."

We finished our dance and just left it all there. I was probably going to eventually accept on her terms merely because of the biological pressure building. ALL our women were nice looking - up to stunning - and all had nice legs always showcased in those short dresses and necessary tights always worn because of the twirling and "up skirt" looks provided by dancing on raised platforms or stages so often with very close seated audiences.

Despite being a smart IT professional Judy was (apparently) a little scatter-brained. At least a couple of times she forgot her matching colored tights and just danced in her normal thong panties. She certainly garnered a LOT of male personal attention at those performances! Bill seemed to enjoy it as much as Judy did. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

But then a Cindy Deveraux joined us. Actually rejoined the group, that is. Cindy had been a member before me but moved away because her husband got transferred. But the marriage didn't work out and Cindy was back in Chattanooga, and eager to get back clogging with all her old friends. Most were ecstatic to have her back. One guy, Joseph (he insisted NOT Joe, so no one ever confused us), especially so. He was literally all over her all the time. I just watched amused.

I don't think Cindy liked the full court press all that much.

Cindy was pretty tall at 5'8", and her legs made up most of that height. She had a plainly attractive face and kept her hair short. She either didn't wear a bra or one that was minimally supportive, because her smallish perky girls moved around quite noticeably and enchantingly when she clogged. Especially during practice when she mostly just wore a tee shirt. She had dirty blonde hair and light blue eyes. Her nose was smallish and her lips just a little bit large. Her rare smiles changed everything though. A hint of her real inner beauty shown through then. She really lit-up on stage when performing - and got that flushed look on her face and shoulders (one of the girl's costumes included that peasant blouse top look) that was incredibly attractive to me - and undoubtedly most men who have seen the same thing personally and up close when bringing a mate to orgasm. That rosy blush and the "glow" (sheen) and heavy breathing from dancing so fast subconsciously portrays "really fun exercise" to most heterosexual males and maybe most lesbians.

I didn't get a chance to interact with Cindy much at first. Her other friends and especially Joseph monopolized her. But then our director paired her with me for one of our older routines I had just learned and she already knew. I held my hand out and she like slap grabbed it - and I swear it was like an electric shock - but pleasant. VERY pleasant.

I think she felt it too. I kind of looked down and froze but then glanced at her and she was staring at me with a serious look on her face. We went thru the routine and it was great. I was floating on air and sailed right thru. Maybe ended up breathing just a little harder than normal. Clogging is a definite aerobic kind of dance - like jogging to music for 4 to 10 minutes at a time doing our routines. Colonial American Kentucky Running sets were dances - just one continuous dance - that sometimes lasted two hours. Musicians - fiddle, banjo, bass, homemade percussion - would rotate seamlessly in and out - and the dancers would just keep on dancing, round and round. Kind of a first "rave" situation if you think about it.

After that dance good old Joseph dragged her right away. Later, she finally broke away from him and approached me.

"Hey! Is that your bike out there?"

I had bought a (very) used older BMW R80 and reconditioned it myself in the garage. That's mostly what I got around on nowadays.

"That red BMW is. You ride?"

"I'd like a ride."

"Sure. When?"

She kind of looked around. Our scheduled practice time was almost over and people were making plans for afterwards. I already knew most would head over to our favorite place.

"How about now?"

"OK. Let me change my shoes." Pull-on boots were far better for riding than white loafers with steel taps on toe and heel. I noticed she was doing the same - and her shoes were nicely broken in looking cowgirl boots.

We headed right out to the bike. I halfway saw Joseph look at us kind of panicky and almost start toward us, then saw his shoulders sag.

I said to Cindy, "we can drive around a bit and then head over to the Blue Note." That was our place where everybody else went.

"You're driving. Whatever you want to do." And then she grabbed my waist to hang on, like any normal rider. As soon as we left the parking lot, her grip got a lot tighter and she snuggled right up against me. I could feel her breasts on my back. Oh, yeah. I didn't want to do anything but keep on keeping on.

We drove around for about an hour. Up and down Lookout Mountain Road, then along the river for a bit. I finally stopped at a diner.

"Let's eat a bit."

"OK."

So we ate and talked. I learned her story, all the basics. And I told her mine. I felt really, really comfortable with her. We were both damaged from our broken marriages. Her husband had left her for another woman. As my wife had left me. That kind of stuff leaves damage. A loss of innocence, loss of faith, loss of trust towards not just the guilty parties, but everyone else as well. I could feel it in myself and wondered just how bad Cindy had that too?

She and I? Well, it was risky, going to be risky. But if you don't dare a little you can't win a damn thing.

I decided to risk a little bit - but slowly. Casually, one baby step at a time.

She never gave me a chance to screw it up. At our very next practice she talked to her old friend the director and quietly requested she be my partner for every routine we both did together. It was OK if I danced with someone else if she was sitting it out. Or it was OK if she danced with someone else if I was. (Which happened occasionally but much less frequently since there just were more gals than guys always there at both practices and performances. Most of our routines were six and eight couple ones, with one or two 10 couple big circle dances and our crowd pleasing "audience participation" one. All the couple positions were really interchangeable except the very first spot - which was the "lead" and "caller" position in the called routines. Mostly our director and principal choreographer Kenny Williams and his wife Beth danced that position.)

Between dances and the normal chatting and social intercourse situations, she just never let Joseph occupy her anymore, and seldom anyone else. It was me and her together and that's just the way it was. Our motorcycle ride was after Tuesday practice. Her dance pairing request was Thursday. Our first "date" was Friday, and we were together Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday. I mean every minute until she got up early Sunday morning to go back to her apartment to get dressed for work. She worked at a talent/entertainment booking agency. That's how we got a lot of our paid performance work - money we just poured back into the team, buying really good quality PA speakers and such. Covering travel expenses, occasionally.

Monday night after work, she basically moved in with me on the farm. I was married again. Or at least it felt like it. Just like that.

It wasn't totally smooth sailing. The sex was great. Fantastic. And we did it a lot. Cindy was just 30 years old and wanted children. I was a tad leary of that given my own history and feelings of failure as a father, but I would do most anything to help in Cindy's pursuit of happiness. She was on the pill right now but I could see her struggling with going off it.

Our honeymoon period never ended, as far as the sex part, but we both soon got back to normal as far as our own "alone time" vs. just hanging out a lot with our clogging - and partying - friends.

After one good Thursday night of relaxing at the Blue Note, when I noticed Bill paying a lot of attention to Cindy and even dancing with her, while Judy and Marilyn had me sandwiched most of the night, Cindy was maybe just a tad more normally affectionate after we got home.

We had just gone to bed when Cindy got up on her elbow and looked at me with twinkling eyes.

"You know, don't you?"

"What honey?" I innocently asked.

"Did you ever?"

"Come on. Spit it out" and I grinned.

"Bill and Judy. Swapping or whatever they do..."

"Ah, Bill told you tonight, I take it - invited you...?"

"Me AND you - just to be clear. They don't want to make any waves or troubles that might break up the whole exhibition team. He just said you knew about it. And that Judy liked you - a LOT!"

"Do YOU want to?" I asked as calmly as possible. Though my pulse rate was definitely up and not in a good way.

She looked serious, now.

"Only if you really wanted us both to do that. Maybe. You have to decide. Don't put it on me, Joe!"

I kissed her, hard, and held her.

"To answer your question. No, I never did Judy or anyone else on the team. Didn't even date anyone. I guess I'm not built that way - the just sex-for-sex fun or the joy of successful seduction.

"I like things just the way they are between us right now. Well, mostly. Only one thing would make me happier. And it's not sharing you or trying on others myself."

"What honey? I'll do almost anything to make you happier."

"Well, I was going to make more of a thing about it - but will you marry me? Have my children?"

Based on the non-verbal communication the rest of the night and next morning - I took that all as a "YES!!"

Very much confirmed when she wore my ring to the next Tuesday night practice session and all the girls started planning our soon to be great big wedding!

Change happens. Some bad, and some good. Very good!

Did we live happily ever after? Ah, that's a story for another day - but basically yes though not without a few troubles.

Witches are real and everywhere:

"Double, double, toil and trouble,

Fire burn and cauldron bubble..."

Song of the Witches - Wm. Shakespeare

I knew three witches still in my hometown...