Flat Footing

Rhiannon Giddens, a member of The Carolina Chocolate Drops, joins me in a banjo workshop on Saturday, September 13, 2008 at the Picking In The Pines Old Time and Bluegrass music festival.

She talked about the origins of the banjo and then demonstrated some very nice flat footing and modified clog dancing techniques for a very appreciative audience.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Rhiannon
• Giddens
• Fred
• Coon
• Flat
• Footing
• Clog
• Dancing
• Carolina
• Chocolate
• Drops
• clawhammer
• banjo
• ragtime
• annie
• folk
• music

[malarkine78]

i like the banjo i have never seen this type of dancing before (flat foot) i know this is obviously American due to the music but the dancing looked Irish

[fredcoonbanjo]

Rhiannon Giddens is a really nice human being and one of the very best flatfooters I've ever seen. The greatest I ever knew was Willard Watson. He was Doc's first cousin. Watching him dance was magic, pure magic.

Rhiannon is fancier than Willard but has the same fluidity. Her obvious enjoyment of dance makes me proud to know her and have been able to play behind her at the workshop so that she could share her love of dance with others.

[hhrtwo]

Is there anything that girl cant do...She is so talented!

[Juliewhitt21]

Damn that Flat Footing kicks ass. Its so Awsome.

[jvnvch]

I remember seeing my mother, who was born and raised in Kentucky, dance this way when I was a child. I've never seen anyone else dance like this.Thanks Rhiannon. You are something else. Is there no end to your talent?

[rspears42721]

I grew up in the same place as Bill Monroe's birthplace - The Home of Bluegrass Music, Rosine, KY. At the park and the barn you always seen this type of dance from the community just enjoying the music being played. Still, every Saturday night at The Barn in Rosine, KY. you can see people "flat footin'".

[rspears42721]

She's brilliant, obviously. Flat Foot dancing is West African in origin as well as the banjo. Bluegrass music originated from African American slaves. Traditional Cherokee dances also had a style very similar to this type of dance.

[glencoe6305]

She's just not Beautiful,but talented, and amazing !

[vapredhunter]

Great flatfooting!!!!! It tees me off all the people who think clogging is flatfooting there is a huge differents Great job

[UFMD1]

@hhrtwo Ha! That was my first thought when I saw this. She has been an inspiration to me musically, I didn't know she could dance too!

[8chevalier8]

Enchanting!

[JThos99]

Good show!!

[fifthworld]

Far less up-on-feet/toes though, (than Irish)except for some buck dancing styles/steps.  Speaking of which, 'would love to see some posting of NC's great Burton Edwards. (of Maggie Valley).. Where'd he disappear to?? I met him and danced a little with him one day, and wow did he have a flair and some seriously contagious steps!

[CadillacL]

I TOTALLY agree. Its NOT clogging. Clogging, unfortunately, is now this

modern junk you see on tv. BTW,

I've been to the Ozark Folk Center.

Talk about some great jig-dancing.

I've probly seen ya. I:)