Mon Valley Cloggers keep traditional dancing alive
The group is preparing for its upcoming Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day performances.
The Mon Valley Cloggers have been dancing and entertaining around the area since 1992.
Clogging is a folk dance, similar to tap, originating with early American settlers in the Appalachians as a blend of movements from Irish jigs, Indian, African and European influences.
They also wear specialized footwear for clog dancing, featuring unique metal “jingle taps” that are often double-layered on the heel and toe for distinct, rhythmic sounds. They differ from tap shoes with single taps, and often come in full or split-sole styles with a toe bar for balance and stability.
“It’s a little bit different from tap dancing,” current president Candy Topp said. “The shoes are different, so it makes more noise when you dance, and every step has a name. This goes back to the old days, and it started in the south, and when people migrated with all their different nationalities, it became this clogging.”
The steps advanced as time went on, according to Topp.
The Mon Valley Cloggers have made thousands of appearances in Southwestern Pennsylvania over the years, so dancers are no strangers to the stage.
“Most of us live in the Mon Valley,” Topp said. “We have a couple from Belle Vernon, two from Monongahela, one from Finleyville and one from Irwin, and we have one from Brentwood, but she has danced her whole life. We are kind of spread out. Right now, we have about 10 or 12 members.”
Under the direction of the late Patricia and Cliff Loehr, who brought the tradition from Ohio when they moved to the area, the cloggers have been providing entertainment for county fairs, many community festivals, area clubs, schools, care homes and more ever since. They started out as the “Sweetheart Dancers,” and it grew from there.
Topp of Forward Township joined the cloggers in January 2010 after searching for many years of ways to get involved in dance in the area. She has danced with them ever since.
Cliff was starting clogging classes around that time, and Topp lived five minutes from her house, so it was a great match. He would attend shows as he got older, even though he couldn’t dance.
Patricia passed away Oct. 15, 2014, and Cliff passed away Aug. 28, 2022, but the tradition continued to live on in the Valley. Cliff asked that memorial contributions be made to the Mon Valley Cloggers after he passed.
“When he was finally ready to hang up the shoes, he asked me to please keep the group going, and I promised I would,” Topp said. “We’re still hanging in there, and COVID kind of killed us. We didn’t have shows for a few years. This past year, we actually had eight Christmas shows, so we are coming back, and we are very happy about that.”
They practice every Tuesday night in Belle Vernon for two hours, according to Topp, who teaches a lot of the members. They have performances throughout the year that last about an hour each and are usually centered around holidays.
They also have done summer festivals, along with the Monongahela Fourth of July event last year, a 1950s show for a nursing home, church group events, scouting events, children’s events and more. They also do themed songs for the event.
“It’s just so much fun,” Topp added. “When you go to a nursing home, they just love it so much. They know the songs, especially Christmas, and a couple of them sing along with you. It’s just fun to make them happy, to see smiles on their faces and they have a good time.”
Topp said her favorite song around Christmas time is “Two Steps Around the Christmas Tree.” They do some themed Riverdance songs around St. Patrick’s Day.
They also put together their own costumes to match the theme.
“We purchase everything ourselves,” Topp said. “When Cliff had the group, he bought everything through the cloggers. These are T-shirts, and they aren’t much money. So we send the T-shirts out and everyone pays for their own.”
They are currently working on their combined Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day performances, which will include about four or five shows. The show is Feb. 10 at Terrace Health & Rehab Center in Uniontown.
Topp said they are looking for younger members because everyone is getting older, and a lot of the young people they had left the group because they have kids or went to college.
Despite that, the group continues to have a bond together, and enjoys performing throughout the year.
“It’s a fun time,” Topp said. “When you get older, especially for our age, what do you do now when you are an older lady? You don’t get to go out and do anything, and for this, you can. Everybody has a good time. Good exercise.”
Anyone interested in joining or checking out a show can contact Topp at 412-983-5900 or Sweetas-candy316@ hotmail.com.
