CC Cloggers instructor Sonya Volzke has taught clogging since she was 11 years old and three decades later she isn’t letting Coronavirus restrictions stop her.
As a young girl Sonya learnt how to clog from her grandmother Shirley Kelly, and by the time she turned 11 she was teaching others in the Bundaberg Region how to tap their feet to the beat.
Since the recent COVID-19 health concerns came in to place in March the CC Cloggers, and Cane Country Cloggers, classes at Avenell Heights Hall have stopped due to social distancing regulations.
Sonya said once the Coronavirus regulations were in effect she decided to move to online classes, and within the week she had cloggers tapping their feet in their own home and she was pleasantly surprised by the boost in attendance.
“I think the participates really appreciated it,” Sonya said.
“Because for some of them they are staying home in isolation the entire time and there is nothing for them to do.
“I know for me I needed to do something as well, so it’s been fantastic all round.
“I just put down a board on my loungeroom floor and start tapping on it for a couple of hours for the online video.”
Sonya said clogging was a form of tap dancing, and although clogging was in her blood it was easy enough to pick up within a few lessons, and anyone of any age could participate.
“The classes are going really great, my grandmother who is now 83 still does it,” she said.
“I anxiously waited the first week to see how many, if any, people would join in the class, and I had a fantastic result, so I’ve kept going each week now for a month.”
She said participants were able to watch her clogging, send messages during the classes, and as the video was uploaded to Facebook it was then available to be viewed by dancers whenever they needed a pick me up during Covid-19 isolation.
Maybe clogging is for you?
Sonya said the online CC Cloggers and Cane Country Cloggers classes had been very popular with people tuning in from all over Australia.
Each week the online lesson has had about 60 people join in, with about 50 or so being from the Bundaberg Region, which means it was a little higher in attendance compared to the average of the Avenell Heights Hall classes.
She said with the free classes online there was no better time to step up and give it a go from the privacy of your own home.
“Anyone can join in the for the 45 minutes of dancing,” she said.
“I am quite happy to do it for nothing, as it keeps others interested and I think I would be doing it at home any way.
“Everyone is in the same situation at the moment, and I feel if it can bring a little bit of happiness to people in their homes, well why not!
“It’s really an opportunity to try clogging in the privacy of your own home where no one can see you, maybe it will even give you the confidence to come along to classes when the Coronavirus regulations have lifted.”
To find out more check out CC Cloggers and Cane Country Cloggers on Facebook or to join the new beginners course click here.
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