Clogging and Fiddling Tandem workshops with Matter and Ghost

Saturday , May 19, 2007
01:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Location: Elderly Instruments
workshop ($35.00)

Two Separate workshops with Matter and Ghost that combine at the end to test drive students' new skills!

Beginning Clogging with Sheila Graziano

Kick up your heels at festivals and concerts, or on your own front porch this summer! This beginning workshop will give you the basics of Appalachian clogging and enough variations to get your feet moving in a knowing way.

Clogging is a form of traditional American step-dance that developed in the Appalachian mountains in the 19th and 20th centuries. At the end of this workshop, the class will be Joined by the students from Neil's workshop (see below) to get the feel of what it's like to dance to live music.

NO DANCE EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! The class will begin with basic steps that can be adapted to a variety of skill levels. A basic familiarity with bluegrass/old-time music is helpful, but not essential. Students are advised to wear leather-soled shoes, or well-worn tennies for the workshop (no sandals or slings). Layered clothing is recommended. Dancers should bring their own water, and a recorder if desired.

Festival Season Tune-up with Michigan's Troubadour Neil Woodward

Dust off those old chestnuts, and learn a new tune or two just in time for festival season. This workshop will focus on the fiddle, but all instruments are welcome. Neil will cover melody and back-up styles for classic dance/jam tunes of bluegrass and old-time American folk music. The class will wrap with a unique opportunity to put feet and fiddle together, as Neil's students join with Sheila's clogging students (see above) in a grand finale.

Instructor Info

Sheila and Neil preform together as the duo Matter and Ghost and combine years of experience with a love a traditional music and dance.

Sheila discovered her passion for dance at an early age. Rooted in 10 years of tap lessons, her enthusiasm grew with the discovery of Appalachian clogging and other forms of traditional dance. She is the founder of The Crosstown Cloggers and Crow's Feet Dancer's, and preformed a soloist with The Raisin Picker's Stringband for years. She also teaches private lessons, various dance workshops, and is the dance instructor and choreographer for two performing high school groups in Washtenaw County.

Neil Woodward is a long-time staff instructor at Elderly Instruments. He teaches fiddle, guitar, mandolin, banjo, harmonica, dulcimer, autoharp, ukulele, tinwhistle, concertina, and more. Neil is part of the old-time banjo teaching staff for the 2007 Midwest Banjo Camp. In 2003 the state legislature named him "Michigan's Troubadour" in recognition of his work to preserve Great Lakes Folk Music.

Check out recordings we carry featuring Neil Woodward