Clog dance developed in areas where mining, milling and agriculture made up the local industry at the time of the Industrial Revolution. It probably developed from the sounds made by clogs and boots on hard surfaces, and these sounds were developed into percussive dance.
In Lancashire, workers on their way home would gather on street corners, and make up intricate steps. In the North East of England there was a strong tradition of clog dance, and fortunately, the Newcastle Cloggies have been able to collect scores of dances from the old people who danced them, and have developed notations to pass on to present day dancers. Similar traditions existed in Scotland, and the Cornish mining area, Dartmoor, where dances were performed on the backs of farm wagons, and Wales have their own special style of dance.
In the Forest of Dean 'step dancing' as it was known was carried on by the miners. Wimberry have a recording made by the BBC in the 1960's of an old miner, born in 1878 telling how when he was 11 years old, his father (also a miner) taught him to clog dance. There are also recollections by other miners and their families.
In Westbury on Severn, Glos, clog dance competitions took place regularly in the early part of the 20th Century. The dances were performed on a pedestal,, where the judges would listen to the precision of the taps and shuffles. Apparently, a lady by the name of Fanny Daunter was a regular winner, despite her 15 stone weight.
Similar evidence exists in Brockweir, where a particular type of broom dance was performed. Sleeve notes on an 'Old Swan Band' LP give details of a dance performed in the Forest where the girls would do a sort of Highland Fling with their skirts pulled through from back to front, giving a sort of trouser impression.
In Longhope, local people still remember two gypsy dancers step dancing, often in wellington boots.
Clog dance was taken up by the Music Halls in the early/mid 20th centuy with famous names such as Dan Leno, Charlie Chaplin, Stan Laurel, Ernie Wise, and the wife of George Formby taking to the stage to perform clog dances. Clog dance even featured in a Shirley Temple film of 1934.
About this time, clog dance crossed the Atlantic to America, where it developed further, and came back as tap dance. When watching tap dance, it is easy to see how it relates back to clog dance.
Clogs themselves are made of Alder for working, waterproof clogs for working on the land, in the chemical industry, in fish markets, and any industry where safe waterproof footwear was needed.
For dancing, clogs are generally made of Sycamore. The clogmakers trade was a proud one, with master cloggers and their own societies and guilds. There are still many clog makers up and down the country. Clog dance and clog morris dance, where the dancers have irons on their clogs, will hopefully keep this old and noble trade alive.