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Stepdancing
Where can you see stepdancing?
General information about Stepdance Days
Stepdancing is a vernacular form of tap dancing, where individual dancers improvise a sequence of steps, most frequently to a hornpipe tune. The sound of the steps is probably the most important aspect, and the dance, although energetic is not particularly dramatic. Dancers are usually self-taught, and dance in informal settings mostly in pubs and other social gatherings where there is a suitable atmosphere and music. If more than one dancer is present, they will often dance in turn. These days, stepdancers often carry a wooden board with them, as so many floors are carpeted. Some dancers add blakeys to their shoes to enhance the sound, others prefer a pair of leather-soled shoes.
Brian Whatling Percy West Richard, Ben & Fiona Davies Doreen O'Connor Amy & Jess Chilvers
& Lenny Whiting
Where can you see stepdancing?
In East Anglia, stepdancing survives outside the rarefied air of the folk festival and club, and is still danced freestyle in pubs and village halls wherever there's some music. Lots of the events listed on our website, and others organised by Rig-a-Jig-Jig in Norfolk or Doreen West or Reg Reader in Suffolk in village halls and pubs will include stepdancers. Our Traditional Music Day attracts more stepdancers every year, and we run several events during the day where you can watch stepdancing, talk to the dancers and have a go yourself, although there is no formal teaching on the day. For the last few years, we have also run a Stepdance Day in the summer, which is a magnet for dancers from all over the region, and includes informal dancing and competitions. See below for details of this year's event, and past ones.
Outside East Anglia, you are most likely to find stepdancing in Devon - the Dartmoor Pixies are a good contact point, featuring Jason Rice in their line-up, and the Dartmoor Folk Festival includes workshops and a competition. Aside from that, most north country clogging is found in folk circles, and there are plenty of opportunities to learn Lancashire and north east clogging styles: a good starting point to find your local teachers or teams would be to look at your local folk magazine or telephone the English Folk Dance and Song Society (020 745 2206).
This year’s Stepdance Day takes place on Sunday 10th July. It will again be held at the Swan in Worlingworth, near Framlingham in central Suffolk, a little gem of a pub with a real old-fashioned feel to it. The day is usually enhanced by the arrival of some pony-and-traps as well as a few tunes, songs, and food and fine beer from the pub. The stepdancing takes place in a marquee in the pub’s large garden. There’s plenty of room, but not too many chairs, so bring your own camping chairs if you wish. There is parking nearby, and the postcode for the pub is IP13 7HR. As usual, Simon Ritchie will provide an introduction to stepdancing at around 1pm, and there are two competitions open to all-comers, starting at around 2pm. It’s a very informal day, when you are assured of seeing some of the best dancers around, and if you would like to have a go, it’s a good chance to do so, even if you’ve never had a go before! The event is free, but we do try and sell you a programme and some raffle tickets in order to cover costs and maybe raise some extra for the Trust. Donations of raffle prizes will be gratefully received, either before the date, or on the day.
Click here for more details of previous Stepdance Days.
If you came to our last Stepdance Day in 2010 or Traditional Music Day last September, you might have seen some filming going on, and if you came to Traditional Music Day you might also have spotted two famous folkies, Rachel and Becky Unthank. All this was to do with a BBC4 programme about traditional dance across the UK. It was screened on Friday 10th December 2010 and has been regularly repeated - look out for "Still Folk Dancing After All These Years". Look out for Percy West, Leo Baker, Lenny Whiting and other stepdancers from the east - we're about half-way through it. It may be on BBC i-player as well, depending on when you try and view it.
General information about Stepdance Day
Steve Monk Memorial Competition
Open to allcomers - even if you've only had a go for the first time in the preceding workshop, you're encouraged to enter this competition. Dancers have a free choice of music and musician for this competition - there are always several really experienced stepdance musicians around!
Font Whatling Trophy
Started in 2008 by EATMT in memory of the Worlingworth Swan's resident musician and stepper (1919-1998) who was also for a number of years a member of the Old Hat Concert Party and became well known at folk festivals around the country. The aim of this competition is to keep the older style of dancing with hard-soled shoes going and encourage a higher standard. Entrants are not permitted to wear clogs or tap shoes, and have to dance to two specific tunes: Pigeon on the Gate (hornpipe) and Oh, Joe, the Boat is Going Over (polka) played by the same musician for all dancers.
Dancers are welcome to enter both competitions.
Judges include previous winners of the competitions and there are several prizes and certificates, including some specifically for children and newcomers.
The postcode for the pub is IP13 7HR. Telephone 01728 627772. For more details, a map and event the OS grid reference (TM224 682), have a look on the Suffolk CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) website.
Below: Brian Whatling (left), son of Font, presents Cyril Barber, aged 86, (right) with the 2009 Font Whatling Memorial Stepdance Trophy.
More photographs of the event may be viewed online, thanks to EATMT member and photographer John Halliday (who took the photos above), who has kindly provided an opportunity for you to see more of his photos from EATMT events, and to make links with other enthusiasts on the social networking site Facebook. You don't have to belong to Facebook to see the photographs, just click here to see the photos: Stepdance Day 2009
Link to Previous Stepdance Days
What are the musical traditions of East Anglia?
Traditional Music Day Melodeons & More Workshops, classes & schools Community Projects
Profiles of traditional musicians Research Jig Dolls Dulcimers Stepdancing