The trick to flat-foot dancing, also known as jigging, buck dancing, clogging, or other names depending on where you live, is to just stay loose.
Let your upper body relax and let your legs and feet create a beat to the music.
Those were some of the tips provided by flat-footing dance teacher Charmaine Slaven (right) from Seattle who led a dance workshop Saturday afternoon in the Horsefly Community Hall with musicians Jason Romero on banjo, Charlie Beck from Seattle on fiddle, and Pharis Romero on guitar.
Slaven taught several basic dance steps with interesting names such as Tennessee walking step, rock step, toe touch, brush, stomp and chug (sort of sliding forward with both feet at the same time).
She taught basic steps and how to alternate them to create different beats, so the toe and heel taps created in the dance act as another instrument in the band.
In the evening Slaven acted as the caller for an old time flat-footing square dance held at the hall.
In Seattle, Slaven says flat-foot dances have become a very popular first date choice for young people. She says flat-foot dances are real community builders.
“It’s a wonderful way to meet people because it gives you something to do,” Slaven says.
The dancing was offered as part of the Horsefly River Salmon Festival activities in Horsefly over the weekend.