What's Afoot report on Alive & Kicking's visit to Philadelphia in April 2003

Its Sunday 13th April 2003 and Alive & Kicking Appalachian Clog group from Exeter are sitting on an aeroplane heading for Philadelphia, USA. Only eleven months ago I was sitting in the sunshine at Dartington Cider Press Centre eating my sandwiches with Jackie, another dancer, keeping an eye on the instruments while the rest of Alive and Kicking went for ice creams. We heard some American voices exclaiming over our poster advertising our Appalachian Clog dance display, got into conversation and discovered they were with a party of sixty American dancers staying at Dartington for a course of English Renaissance dance workshops.

Two days later we were performing a short display for them at Dartington hall, and there we met Peggy Leiby, a driving force of Fiddlekicks, an American Appalachian Clog group, who dance the Green Grass Cloggers' style, most popular with Appalachian Clog groups here in the UK. Steps, ideas and most importantly email addresses were swapped, and now nearly all of our team, eight dancers, one reserve (who used to dance with us before she went to college), and four musicians were en route to Philadelphia. We were to stay as guests of Fiddlekicks, swapping dances and steps, performing with them and attending workshops from Appalachian Dancer Tom Hinds and Cape Breton Dancer Malke Rosenfeld.

About four hours into our flight Frances decides that we cannot let the opportunity of joining the "mile high dance club" slip by, so I join her on the salubrious stage area, (a three foot square space outside the loo's) where we manage to dance our "couple dance" to a hummed accompaniment - our first mid-Atlantic performance. Spirits were still a mile high when we were met at the airport by Fiddlekicks, and whisked away to stay with our various hosts around the city.

Monday 14th April and Peggy's wonderful barn, 150 years old, freshly spring cleaned and complete with a raised wooden floor donated by an Irish dance group, was the venue for our first dance swap. Americans generally only have two weeks paid holiday a year, so only a few Fiddlekicks dancers could join us at the beginning of the week, but everything was videotaped for the absent members. We were careful to only teach our own choreographed dances, feeling rather shy about teaching Americans an English "take" on an Appalachian Dance, but they loved it!

That evening both groups started to get to know each other at a "bring a dish" supper followed by an impromptu dance in Peggy's barn. The A&K Band loved the acoustics and the dancers were all still high as kites just to be there - you couldn't have stopped us dancing!

Tuesday 15th April was our sight-seeing day. Some of our hosts drove us to New York, we crossed the Hudson on the Staten Island Ferry and toured Manhattan on an open topped bus!

Wednesday 16th April saw more step and dance swaps in Peggy's barn, and in the evening A&K danced a short display at an English Country Dance. This is the type of dance we learn at primary school, and our hosts could not believe that we don't dance it habitually at home. Some of their regular musicians were away, so Sue, one of our fiddle players, joined the band for the evening, to play English Country Dance for American aficionados and Appalachian Clog Music for the mad English!

Thursday 17th April started with huge sandwich making operations and a quick recap of dances for our reserve dancer, Louisa, as one of the team was ill. A convoy of cars then took us to the Grand Opera House, Wilmington, Delaware. We were given a guided tour of this wonderful building by Anya Ward, the Director of their School of Dance, and then allowed the use of a huge and beautiful studio where we learnt a Fiddlekicks dance, the ending of which we would dance with them at Friday's Concert. After lunch we danced a forty minute display with Fiddlekicks in the studio for an audience of children from a local Montessori School, both teams accompanied by the A&K band. Eileen Walsh from Fiddlekicks gave the children a short dance workshop followed by a question and answer session. The children were great, and some wanted to touch us as we were English!

That evening A&K danced a display at the Glenside Contra Dance. Contra is very popular in America and is a bit like ceilidh dancing done in sets of four arranged in long lines down the hall. The main difference is that it is danced with a fast walk, which does mean that you are not so shattered at the end of the dance that you have to sit the next one out! Both this and the previous night's dance were "dry" events in terms of alcohol, apparently traditional in Pennsylvania, but this didn't stop Glenside being enormously popular and the large hall was bursting at the seams.

The A&K four piece string band was invited to join a massive twenty five piece pick-up band called SPUDS, which filled the stage, creating a wonderful sound to dance to. SPUDS play together about seven times a year, so we were really lucky to hear them that night. Having received the invitation and music whilst in the UK, our band had practised the music beforehand and really enjoyed being part of a big band experience.

On Friday 18th April we all met at the Allen's Lane Art Centre for the opening workshop of the two day Spring FeetBeat event organised by Fiddlekicks as a focus for our visit. Tom Hinds began with a masterclass for Alive & Kicking and Fiddlekicks. Tom is from West Virginia, he performs and extensively teaches Appalachian clogging.

That evening saw our highlight performance at the Art's Centre concert along with Fiddlekicks, Tom Hinds, Sharon Gouveia, who danced some inspirational Appalachian Flatfooting, and Malke Rosenfeld. Malke is a full time dancer and musician who performs and teaches traditional percussive dance styles, including Cape Breton, old time clogging and flatfooting. She spent two years touring with Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble, including the London run of Riverdance, and still only looks about twenty one! After the concert Tom Hinds gave the audience a "taster" Appalachian workshop followed by a couple of square dances. A personal high spot was the A&K fan, who had seen our display the night before and presented the team with home-made orange ice lollies after the concert! The evening was rounded off with a reception for all the Dancers, Musicians, their friends and families, complete with a huge iced cake (chocolate!).

Saturday 19th April and we were back at Allen's Lane Arts Centre for the second day of "Spring FeetBeat" workshops. The bagels and cream cheese on arrival set us up for a continuation of Tom Hinds workshop, followed by a percussive dance workshop for all levels by Malke - "Drum with your feet". After lunch Tom gave a Flatfooting workshop aimed at beginners and then we all enjoyed Malke's Cape Breton Workshop. Well I say all, Heather, our guitar player, took the opportunity to slip out and buy a fabulous new guitar, which had to sit in first class on the plane home! Heather christened it that evening at an Old time Music session which gave the A&K musicians an opportunity to jam with the locals.

Sunday 20th April. Our week was up! Some of the team boarded the evening flight home, others took a few days personal holiday and a couple stayed on with Peggy learning all they could, before the rest of us flew home the following Thursday.
For us all it was a brilliant and memorable trip. We have come back with new steps, chunks of dances and music to enrich our repertoire. Best of all we have made many new friends in Fiddlekicks who will be joining us next Summer when we return their hospitality. Look out for Fiddlekicks in the South West, Summer 2004!

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