Country, Folk & Community Dance

Clogging

Clogging is a percussive folk dance in which the heel keeps the downbeat.

116–144 BPM Solo / group ≈720 kcal/hr
Clogging dancers
Image: Harrison Keely · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Origin
Appalachian Mountains
Era
1700s – present
Time signature
4/4
Tempo
116–144 BPM
Difficulty
Studios listing it
11

What is clogging?

Clogging is a percussive folk dance in which the heel keeps the downbeat. Appalachian clogging, flatfooting and buck dancing are closely related; modern precision clogging teams wear jingle taps and dance choreographed routines to bluegrass, country and pop.

History

Clogging grew in the Appalachians from Irish, Scottish, English, German, Cherokee and African American dance traditions. Square dance teams added clogging steps in the 1920s, and competitive team clogging spread across the US from the 1970s.

Basic technique

  1. Double toe, rock step, drag slide
  2. Basic (DS RS) and triple
  3. Chain changes and vines

Music & tempo

Bluegrass, country and pop, typically 116–144 BPM.

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Songs for clogging

SongArtistBPMKeyYear
Because of YouThe Mavericks116E major2003
99.9% Sure (I've Never Been Here Before)Brian McComas116G major—
I Miss YouKacey Musgraves116F major2013
Roly PolyMerle Haggard116G major1970
If You’re Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)Rodney Atkins116A major2006
Local GirlsRonnie Milsap116E major2006
The Traveling StormRobert Earl Keen116F major2005
I KnowAnne Murray116D major1971
Ladies Love Country BoysTrace Adkins116D major2006
Hey SchaffnerGunter Gabriel116E major2018

BPM as measured by audio analysis; some tracks read at half or double the danced tempo.

All 637 clogging songs by BPM →

What to wear

Clogging shoes with double (jingle) taps.

How to get started

Clogging teams and community schools in the Southeast offer classes for all ages.

We list 11 studios that teach clogging, or browse all dance studios by state.

Recent research

More clogging research →

Encyclopedia summary

Clogging, buck dancing, or flatfoot dancing is a type of folk dance practiced in the United States, in which the dancer's footwear is used percussively by striking the heel, the toe, or both against a floor or each other to create audible rhythms, usually to the downbeat with the heel keeping the rhythm. Clogging can be found at various old-time and bluegrass music festivals.

Clogging is the official state dance of Kentucky and North Carolina.

From the Wikipedia article “Clogging”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Frequently asked questions

Is clogging the same as tap?

They share African and Irish roots, but clogging keeps the beat with the heel and uses jingle taps, while tap uses fixed metal plates.

What BPM is Clogging?

Clogging is usually danced to music between 116 and 144 beats per minute. Browse 637 songs that fit on our Clogging music page.

How many calories does clogging burn?

About 720 calories per hour for a 155-lb (70 kg) person, based on a MET value of 9.8 from the Compendium of Physical Activities. See calories burned clogging for every body weight.

Ballet & Theatrical Dance

Tap Dance

United States — African rhythmic traditions meet Irish and Scottish step dancing

World & Cultural Dance

Irish Dance

Ireland

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Square Dance

British, French and American folk dances; modern Western style in the US

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Texas Two-Step

Texas dance halls

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Line Dancing

United States (country, disco and pop)

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Contra Dance

New England (from English country dance)

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Polka

Bohemia (today's Czech Republic)

Last reviewed October 2026 · Editorial policy