American Footsteps – Lower School Students Enjoy the History of Dance
April 6, 2004

The popular American dances of today have their roots in the Appalachian Mountains from long ago when different cultures settled in the Kentucky area and began to learn from one another. This was just one of many lessons learned by the Lower School students during assembly on April 2, 2004. The history, told and performed by the Foot & Fiddle Dance Company, gave the students an appreciation for the evolution of dance that has become unique to America. They learned that today’s tap dance and square dance styles are rooted in the traditional clogging and step dancing, which were heavily influenced by African, Native American, Irish, and Scottish cultures. The students even discovered that square dance calling bears a resemblance to today’s rap music. The children were introduced to a fiddle, a banjo, and the art of hambone. The fiddler explained the difference between a violin and a fiddle and demonstrated this by playing both Mozart and the Chicken Reel on her instrument. Thigh-pounding rhythmic exercises and a resounding chorus of “Black-eyed Suzy” showed students that music doesn’t always require musical instruments other than one’s hands. Several students and two brave faculty members then took to the stage for a quick and entertaining square dance. The morning presented an opportunity for the students to appreciate the many ethnicities that have contributed to the unique American folk dance culture. © 2004 The Pingry School