while attending 'Continental Squares' dance convention,
but first saw clogging in 1987 when Denny Lantz, clogging instructor of Misty Mountain Cloggers,
visited New Zealand from Medford, Oregan.
Denny taught the small group
the basic 2 count clog and the 4 step chain.
He left us with cue sheets, audio tapes and a video.
As a square dance caller, having to teach and cue
for clogging came easily and I loved it!
Kiwi Mountain Cloggers' commenced on Sunday 21 August 1988.
Denny Lantz came back to NZ in March 1989 for a workshop and the first graduation party in the evening.
We were very proud of our first 25 cloggers. Kiwi Mountain Cloggers grew from strength to strength requiring a larger club venue. Denny Lantz left us with a donation from Misty Mountain Cloggers to put towards a portable wooden dance floor which became invaluable for getting out in the public with demos,
and we did so at every opportunity. Our numbers grew to 80 at our highest.
We travelled from Dargaville in the North to Christchurch in the South, from New Plymouth in the West to Napier in the East to workshop and promote clogging.
n the nineties we travelled to America and Australia annually for new material and the music required.
We had tutors from America and Australia to visit and do workshops, to name a few:
Ralph & Phyllis Turner (Michigan), Marilyn Hansen (Anaheim),
Jancie Jeston, Berdella and Duane Root (also from America),
Edith and Dean Sandy (Gympie, Australia) and Vicky Dean (Sydney, Australia).
For a number of years I was Australia's New Zealand representative for the Australian Clogging Association.
On October 23rd 1999, Elva and Russell travelled to Maggie Valley, Tennessee, USA to be inducted in the
'American Clogging Hall of Fame'.
President Jean Watford announced that
Elva-May and Russell had been awarded life membership of the NZ Assocation,
in recognition and appreciation of their contribution to New Zealand clogging.
It is with much sadness that we announce that
after a long and bravely fought illness Elva-May passed away on 23rd April 2005.
