The International Festival Ensemble from South Jordan City, Utah

In a joint resolution, the Utah State Legislature recognized the CLOG AMERICA INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL ENSEMBLE as a “Utah cultural treasure” and “Ambassadors of Peace and Friendship to the World.”

CLOG AMERICA is comprised of award-winning dancers and musicians who have had the great honor of representing the United States in over 50 major festivals and events throughout Eastern and Western Europe, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Korea, China and the USA since 1991. The ensemble has appeared on national television in Germany, the Czech Republic, France, the Netherlands, Brazil, Macedonia, Hungary and the USA. They represent championship-level cloggers from the Rocky Mountain area of the Western United States who have won numerous national titles throughout the USA. The individual dancers have also performed their high-powered dance style as special guest artists with recording stars Marie Osmond and the Branson Brothers as well as appearing in the Great American Liberty Parade in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; the White House Ellipse, the Lincoln Memorial and Sylvan Theater in Washington, D.C.; the Miss America Parade in Atlantic City, New Jersey; Disney’s Epcot Center and Magic Kingdom as well as throughout up-state New York and Hawaii.

CLOG AMERICA was honored to represent the USA and all American servicemen who fought in World War II at “The International Folk Arts Festival dedicated to the 60th Anniversary of the End of the Second World War” which was held in Moscow, Russia during September 2005. During 2004, CLOG AMERICA was the sole representative of the USA at the 2004 “World Folkloriada”. Held only once every four years, Folkloriada is also known as the “Olympics of the Folk Art World”. The group also appeared in October 2004 as the first representative of the USA to be invited to the Shanghai Baoshan International Folk Art Festival in China. CLOG AMERICA appeared as special guest artists during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games held in Salt Lake City, Utah and represented the USA at the Celebration Folklore Festival associated with the 2002 World Cup Soccer Games in Korea.

The repertoire performed by CLOG AMERICA includes dances representing the youthful, energetic and diverse culture of the USA. The dancers specialize in clogging which is an American dance form born in the Appalachian Mountain area and influenced by steps of European settlers from England and Holland, the Native American Indians and the African slaves. The various clogging dances are performed with special taps on their shoes allowing for the intricate sounds of the steps to be heard. The clogging dances include traditional precision and hoedown as well as line, novelty and character numbers.

In addition to clogging, CLOG AMERICA also performs dances representing various time periods of American history including Pioneer dances, Contras, Charleston, Rock & Roll as well as Country Line and Swing, the popular western dance style of the 90’s, in the fast-paced and exciting CLOG AMERICA program. The CLOG AMERICA BAND is comprised of accomplished musicians playing fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, bass and various percussion instruments. In addition to accompanying the dancers, the band performs toe-tapping specialty numbers such as the popular “Orange Blossom Special” and “Dueling Banjos” as well as popular vocal numbers. The intricate Native America Hoop Dance and spectacular Polynesian Fire Knife Dance is performed by the Ahunas, specialty dancers from Hawaii.

The performances of CLOG AMERCA have been supported by USArtists International, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts and managed by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation.

“CLOG AMERICA”
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL APPEARANCES

BELGIUM

• 2001 FESTIVAL MONDIAL DE FOLKLORE DE LA VILLE DE SAINT-GHISLAIN- Tertre
• 2001 18th INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF FOLKLORE DE OOSTROZEBEKE- Oostrozebeke

BRAZIL

• 2006 IX FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE FOLCLORE- Passo Fundo

CANADA

• 2000 FESTIVAL FOLKLORIQUE INTERNATIONAL DE LACHINE- Lachine, Quebec
• 2000 WORLDFEST 2000- Cornwall, Ontario

CHINA

• 2004 SHANGHAI BAOSHAN FOLK ART FESTIVAL- Shanghai

CZECH REPUBLIC

• 2001 27th INTERNATIONAL FOLKLORE FESTIVAL “POD ZVICINOU”- Lazne Belhora
• 2001 “F SCENE 2001”- Brno

ENGLAND

• 2003 39th BILLINGHAM INTERNATIONAL FOLKLORE FESTIVAL- Billingham
• 1997 INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF FOLK ART- Milton Keynes

FRANCE

• 2008 20TH FESTIVAL DE MARTIGUES- Martigues
• 2001 FESTIVAL FOLKLORIQUE DE LA HAUTE LANDE- Morcenx
• 1999 FESTIVAL DE MONTGUYON- Montguyon
• 1995 FESTIVAL DES FOLKLORE DU MONDE- Bray Dunes
• 1993 & 1991 FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DE FOLKLORE- Biarritz
• 1991 XI FESTIVAL MONDIAL DE FOLKLORE- La Grande Motte

HUNGARY

• 2004 CIOFF WORLD FOLKLORIADA- Budapest and Pecs
• 2004 SUMMERFEST INTERNATIONAL FOLKLORE FESTIVAL-Szazhalombatte

GERMANY

• 2003 LIBORI 2003- Paderborn
• 2003 & 1999 VOLKSFESTVEREIN- Malchow
• 1999 & 1995 EUROPAISCHES FOLKLORE FESTIVAL BITBURG- Bitburg

ITALY

• 2007 39th FESTIVAL DEL FOLKLORE- Aviano-Piancavallo- Aviano
• 2007 25th FESTIVAL DEL FOLKLORE “SCIAMPITTA”- Sardinia
• 2007 22nd ITTIRI FOLK FESTA 2007- Sardinia
• 2001 8th FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL “SABINO-CORNICOLANO”- St. Angelo Romano
• 1993 XI FESTIVAL DEL SUD PONTINO- Minturno, Taliacoxxo, Castelforte, Gaeta, Terrancino

KOREA

• 2002 WORLD CUP SOCCER CELEBRATION ART FESTIVAL- Incheon

MEXICO

• 2005 X FESTIVAL DEL FOLCLOR INTERNACIONAL- Zacatecas
• 2002 FIESTAS DE SANTA LUCIA INTERNATIONAL- Monterrey

THE NETHERLANDS

• 1999 & 1995 INTERNATIONAL FOLKLORE FESTIVAL ZEELAND- Sas Van Gent
• 1999 FESTIVAL SCHAGEN- Schagen

POLAND

• 2007 44th BESKIDY HIGHLANDERS’ WEEK OF CULTURE- Zywiec
• 2003 XIII PODLASKA FAIR- Biala Podlaska

RUSSIA

• 2005 MOSCOW INTERNATIONAL FOLKLORE FESTIVAL- Moscow
• 2005 INTERNATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL “CONCORD”- Novocherkassk

SPAIN

• 2008 FESTIVAL “CIUDAD DE BURGOS”- Burgos
• 1993 LA FIESTA DE SAN FERMIN- Pamplona
• 1991 LASARTE-ORIAKO XI FOLKLORE JAIALDIA- San Sebastian

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

• 2002 XIX OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES- Salt Lake City, Utah
• 2002 FOLKMOOT USA- Waynesville, North Carolina
• 2006, 2005, 2002 SPRINGVILLE WORLD FOLKFEST- Springville, Utah
• 2001 & 1991 BOUNTIFUL SUMMERFEST INTERNATIONAL - Bountiful, Utah
• 1998 & 1995 IDAHO INTERNATIONAL FOLK DANCE FESTIVAL- Rexburg, Idaho