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Pennyroyal Clog Dancers
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Pennyroyal was formed in 1979. We practise on Tuesday evenings at Grove Hall, Carshalton and dance out from May to September throughout Surrey, with forays into Sussex and Kent.
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History of Step
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Clogs are thought to have developed from the wooden soled Roman bath shoe and are found in various forms all over Europe. The English clog has a wooden sole with a close fitting leather upper and unlike work clogs, dancing clogs have no irons or rubbers on the sole. They were worn in all the rural areas but with mass production in the 19th century, they became the usual footwear of the workers in the industrial North of England, especially in the mill towns.
It was in these areas that clog dancing developed in the second half of the 19th century. Step dancing was known all over Britain, performed in hard leather soled shoes, but the combinations of clogs with the paved surfaces in towns allowed it to develop into the form we know today. The steps were performed on street corners and in pubs, with dancers earning a few coppers to supplement their wages. From there it went into the Music Halls and many well known performers such as Charlie Chaplin, Ernie Wise and Hylda Baker included clog dancing in their acts.
Some of the dances we perform have their origins in the Music Hall, whilst others have been handed down through families. We are lucky that many traditional dancers have been able to pass on their steps to a new generation or performers.
The money we collect when dancing out is to cover our expenses and any surplus is donated to a local children's charity.
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