I've tried and enjoyed many various types of dancing, but the only one I've found I can make a living at is Ballroom Dancing, so that is my day job. (Actually, I teach until 10 pm some nights!) I morris danced with the Castlewood Morris Women in Lexington Kentucky and loved it, haven't done much since moving to Houston as it is a bit hard on my knees these days. Also loved trying flamenco, but it is too percussive on the feet (have to make a living, you see.) Still love to clog, contra, square, international folk, etc. etc.

By the bye, did you know that in Denmark, they still dance to sung ballads? A very old tradition that is still sometimes seen in children's singing games in this country.

And when Cecil Sharpe came to the Appalachian Mountains, he found some communities where dancing was frowned upon (the Devil in the fiddle!) but dancing to singing, or "play-parties" as they called it, was acceptable. When I danced with the Berea College Country Dancers, we did an old version of set-running that was danced to the voices and the stamping of the feet and clapping hands of the dancers. "Killy kranky is my song..."

Not long ago, I was dancing late at night on the front porch of an old house at Winedale, to some fine fiddle, guitar, and banjo. I found myself thinking of my clogging as a rhythm instrument (my feet!) because it was too dark to see. That seemed to put more emphasis on the sound than the look or feel of the dance.

I've heard it said that in the English Clog-Dance Contests, the judges would sit under the stage and judge just by the sounds made by the dancers' feet. Any truth to that?

The folk-waltz is still my favorite, tho a waltz clog is also great fun!