Flatfoot Dancing
Bluegrass music and Flatfoot dancing go together like bread and butter. Go to any event where there is live bluegrass music, and someone will set up a dancing platform or throw a piece of plywood on the ground and start flatfooting.
Flatfooting, also known as clogging, foot-stomping or buck-dancing, consists of dancing alone or in groups to up-tempo music, using enthusiastic footwork to emphasize the downbeat of the music. Flat-footing doesn’t have the shuffling, hopping motions found in most Irish clogging steps. Flat-footing steps are performed by sliding the feet rather than hopping and kicking. There are very few formal steps in flat-footing; dancers simply follow the beat of the music and “ad-lib” or freestyle their movements.
Here’s a quick look at a basic flatfooting step:
Flatfooting has its roots in traditional European folk dancing. It was originally called “clogging” because the dancers wore wooden clogs when they danced. The clogs served to emphasize the rhythm of the music by striking the heel, the toe, or both against the floor or each other to create a percussive effect. Wooden clogs are rarely used any more since most folks don’t own a pair of clogs.
The early Scots-Irish immigrants who settled in the Appalachian Mountains brought with them their jigs and clogging traditions. Over time, the steps changed and the dance came to be known as flatfooting.
Today, there are many variations in the footwear. Leather-topped shoes with a one-piece wooden bottom or separate wooden pieces on the heel and toe called “flats” are sometimes used (the terms “heel and toe” and “flat footing” derive from this type of footwear). Of course, at a bluegrass concert, no one cares what sort of shoes they are wearing; they just get up and dance.
Flatfooting competitions are commonplace at Bluegrass festivals. Here’s a clip of 12-year old Lulu Furtado taking first place at the Maury River Fiddler’s Convention in Buena Vista, VA near mile marker 46 on the Blue Ridge Parkway:
The Mountain Dulcimer: Born in the Blue Ridge Mountains
The Mountain Dulcimer was a “highway baby”. It was born somewhere in Virginia, along either the Great Wagon Road or the Wilderness Road, just prior to the Revolutionary War.
Back before the American Revolution, many European immigrants (Mostly Scots, Irish, German and Swedish) landed in Philadelphia in search of a new beginning. Since shipboard space was scarce and expensive, they brought with them only what they could carry. Some brought musical instruments: the Irish and Scots brought their fiddles, and the Germans brought their Scheitholts.
Everyone knows what a fiddle is, but few are familiar with a scheitholt. Here’s a photo; it’s basically strings stretched over a wooden box, with a few frets laid out directly on the soundboard to mark the note positions. Melodies were played on only one string, and the remaining two strings were left to vibrate freely (drone).
Scheitholts weren’t very loud and didn’t have a particularly pleasing tone. But, they did make music and were satisfactory for accompanying hymns and folksongs.
The Great Wagon Road ran south through eastern Pennsylvania and into the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. At the southernmost end of the Valley, at a town called Big Lick (now Roanoke, VA) the road split: the Wagon Road continued south into Georgia and the Wilderness Road went west into Kentucky.
Somewhere south of Pennsylvania and north of Georgia, the Scots-Irish adapted the scheitholt for their own use. The drone strings of the scheitholt were reminiscient of the drone of a bagpipe, so the sound fit right in with traditional Irish and Scottish music.
Over time, changes were made to the instrument; a raised fingerboard was added, the frets were extended all the way across the width of the fretboard and curved sides were adopted. In Virginia, the instruments tended to be teardrop-shaped; in Kentucky, the instruments tended to be hourglass shaped. The modified scheitholt became known alternately as the mountain dulcimer, lap dulcimer, and Appalachian dulcimer.
The traditional method of playing the dulcimer was to place it on one’s lap and strum across the strings with a finger, a small switch, or a feather spine. The player created the tune by depressing the nearest string witha finger or a small stick (a “noter”), and sliding it up and down the fretboard, while the other strings sounded as continuous drones.
Music performed by traditional players included old fiddle tunes, dance tunes, ballads and religious music of the English and Scottish traditions.
Primarily, dulcimers were for personal use rather than for dances or public gatherings. After the Civil War, dulcimers were replaced by banjos as the foremost folk instrument, and after WWI the guitar also became popular. Over time, interest in the dulcimer faded away.
During the Folk Music Revival of the1950’s and 60’s, interest in the mountain dulcimer was renewed. Among those responsible for reviving the dulcimer was Jean Ritchie, the youngest of twelve children from eastern Kentucky village of Viper. Jean went to New York as part of the Folk Revival, taking her mountain dulcimer with her.
Today, the mountain dulcimer attracts attention from folks from all ages and backgrounds. Dulcimer clubs, festivals and competitions can be can now be found all over the country. Here’s a look at the mountain dulcimer being played by Stephen Seifert at the Knoxville TN dulcimer club…
Virginia Hikes on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Guide to the Blue Ridge Parkway -- Hiking Trails in Virginia Continued
By Nicole Munoz
Continued
MP 91.0 A moderate 1.9 mile portion of the Appalachian Trail, leading from the VA 695 to Sharp Top Mountain overlook.
MP 92.5 The Sharp Top Mountain to Harvey’s Knob section of the Appalachian Trail is a 2.9 mile moderate hike along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
MP 95.4 Harvey’s Knob overlook to Montvale overlook portion of the Appalachian Trail is also moderately challenging, but is only a .6 mile hike.
MP 95.9 This mile long stretch of the Appalachian Trail runs from the Montvale overlook to Taylor’s Mountain overlook and is a moderately strenuous hike.
MP 96.0 Spec Mine Trail is a strenuous 2.8 mile trail maintained by the US Forest Service. This Blue Ridge Parkway hiking trail begins at the Montvale overlook and leads to Botetourt County along state Rt. 645.
MP 97.0 A moderate .8 mile section of the Appalachian Trail from Taylor’s Mountain overlook to Blackhorse Gap.
MP 110.6 Stewart’s Knob Trail is a brief stroll to an amazing view of the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains.
MP 114.9 Roanoke River Trail is a .35 mile self-guiding stroll to a balcony overlooking the Roanoke River.
MP 120.4 Roanoke Mountain Summit Trail is a moderate tenth-mile hike to a splendid view of the Roanoke Valley.
MP 120.5 Chestnut Ridge Trail is a moderate 1.75 mile hike near the Roanoke Mountain camping area.
MP 121.4 Roanoke Valley Horse Trail is a moderate 18.5 mile long horse trail that begins near highway 220 and runs alongside the Blue Ridge Parkway.
MP 123.2 Buck Mountain Trail is a moderately challenging half mile hike to the top of Buck Mountain. The summit offers a fantastic view of the city of Roanoke.
MP 154.5 Smart View Loop Trail is a moderate 2.6 mile hike around the relaxing Blue Ridge Parkway picnic area.
MP 167.1 Rock Castle Gorge Trail is a strenuous 10.8 mile hike. The loop trail leads from the Rocky Knob campground, over Rocky Knob, and through the amazing Rocky Knob Gorge before ending back at the campground. This trail makes for an extreme day hike. If you’re not used to strenuous hiking, be sure to pack a Coleman foot care kit.
MP 167.1 Hardwood Cove is a moderately strenuous .8 mile portion of the Rock Castle Gorge trail. This section is a self-guiding nature trail.
MP 169.0 Black Ridge Trail is a moderate hiking trail that loops 3.1 miles from the Rocky Knob visitor center, passing Black Ridge and Grassy Knoll.
MP 169.0 Rocky Knob Picnic Loop Trail is a relaxing mile long walk around the picnic area. This is a perfect effortless hike for hot afternoons.
MP 176.2 Mabry Mill Trail is an easy trail that passes by the restored Mabry Mill and numerous exhibits of mountain life long ago, including shoemaking and blacksmith crafts.
MP 179.2 Round Meadow Creek Trail is a moderate half-mile hiking trail that loops through the peaceful, shady forest around Round Meadow Creek.
There is much, much more to see and do along the Blue Ridge Parkway!
For more tips and information about Camping Gear, check out http:www.summitcampinggear.com.
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Hike The Blue Ridge Parkway
Guide to the Blue Ridge Parkway -- Hiking Trails in Virginia
By Nicole Munoz
The 469 mile long Blue Ridge Parkway is often said to be the most scenic drive in America. Beginning near Cherokee, NC, the parkway winds through the gorgeous Smokey Mountains and passes through the Pisgah National Forest, as well as the Shenandoah National Forest, before ending just before Virginia’s Skyline Drive begins.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is milepost after milepost of beautiful mountain views, camping opportunities, and outdoor activities. Whether your planning a family day trip or a week long trekking adventure, you can pack your Coleman cooler and enjoy the perfect journey on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
There are hundreds of miles of hiking trails along the parkway, many accessing larger trail networks including the Appalachian Trail, NC’s Mountain to Sea Trail, and the Shining Rock Wilderness Trail. This three part guide covers the hiking trails along the Virginia section of the Blue Ridge Parkway. A guide to the NC hiking trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway can be found here.
MP 5.9 Mountain Farm Trail is an easy, quarter mile self-guiding walk through a reconstructed 19th century Appalachian mountain farm. During summer months, there are living demonstrations in the farmstead, reenacting life on the farm long ago.
MP 6.0 The Appalachian Trail is a 2000 mile long hiking trail stretching through the eastern mountains, from Georgia to Maine. Several sections of the trail can be accessed from the Blue Ridge Parkway. This 2 mile section is a strenuous hike to Humpback Mountain at 3650 feet above sea level.
MP 8.4 Catoctin Loop Trail is a moderate .3 mile trail with beautiful vistas. This short loop is a great way to stretch your legs if you’re driving the parkway.
MP 8.8 Greenstone Trail is a short (.2 mile) self-guiding trail that loops through the shady hardwood forest and examines the amazing rock formations along the parkway. This trail is a moderate hike.
MP 17.6 The Priest is an easy tenth-mile stroll to an amazing view of the religiously named cluster of mountains looming in the distance.
MP 18.5 White Rock Falls Trail Connection is a moderate 2.9 mile hike to the White Rock Falls trail.
MP 20.0 White Rock Falls Trail is a moderate hike that follows .9 miles alongside a tranquil stream and ends at a small waterfall.
MP 26.3 Big Spy Mountain Trail is a short (.1 mile) but moderate walk to the War Fields, a large meadow known for the numerous arrowheads found in the soil. At 3200 feet above sea level, this trail offers a terrific view of the sky, as well as the beautiful Shenandoah Valley below.
MP 34.4 Yankee Horse Trail is a moderate .2 mile trail that passes a reconstructed railroad exhibit once used for logging in the Virginia mountains and leads to a small waterfall known as Wigwam Falls.
MP 38.8 Boston Knob Trail is an easy tenth of a mile loop around the hill near the overlook. This is an ideal walk to stretch your legs after a picnic lunch at the available table.
For more tips and information about Camping Gear, check out http: www.summitcampinggear.com.
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The Blue Ridge Institute and Museum, Ferrum, VA
Rockabilly exhibit at the Blue Ridge Institute
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains just a little southwest of Roanoke is the town of Ferrum, VA. Ferrum is the home of Ferrum College, a 4-year liberal arts residence college sponsored by the United Methodist Church. Ferrum is also home to the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum.
The Blue Ridge Institute & Museum was created by Ferrum College in the early 1970s to document, interpret, and present the folk heritage of the Blue Ridge region. Since that time, the Institute has grown steadily, expanding its work throughout Virginia and Appalachia while maintaining an emphasis upon the western portion of the state. Local aspects of Blue Ridge culture are regularly presented in museum displays.
Though the Blue Ridge Mountains are often associated with Old-time and Bluegrass music, a recent BRI display entitled “Virginia Rocks! The History of Rockabilly in the Commonwealth” showed that the area’s musical heritage has diverse roots. Audio, video, and photographic displays of Virginia-based early rockers like Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps, Link Wray and the Raymen, Roy Clark, Wayne Newton, and Janis Martin were enjoyed by aThe BRI is located in Franklin County, where one of the bestselling t-shirts depicts jug-toting hillbillies under the banner “Moonshine Capital of the World.” The BRI is perfectly situated to recount the true story of the moonshining trade in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The museum exhibit includes photos and stories from local moonshiners. The most interesting point in the exhibit was a seminar where former moonshiners and revenue agents swapped stories about the “good old days”. Though currently closed, this exhibit is featured online at http://www.blueridgeinstitute.org/moonshine/an_introductory_taste.html
Currently on exhibit at the BRI is a history of mountain dulcimer making in Virginia. Mountain dulcimers are sometimes called “lap dulcimers”; they are relatively easy to make and to play.
Across the road from the main museum building is the Blue Ridge Farm Museum, which is a living history display on an 1800’s Blue Ridge farmstead. The most popular event at the BRI is the annual Blue Ridge Folk life Festival. For 40 years, the folk life Festival has been Virginia’s largest annual celebration of regional folkways. The Festival is typically held the 4th Saturday in October.
Hillsville, VA: Flea Market Central
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHLnmLKtsZY
Every Labor Day, the population of the town of Hillsville, VA grows from 2700 to nearly 500,000 people. The entire town pitches in to accommodate the crowd. Residential yards are turned into parking lots ($5/day). Route 58 through the center of town is lined with food vendors for over a mile on both sides of the street. Four hundred acres of open space is rented by more than seven hundred vendors: antique & collectible dealers, flea market sellers, and gadget hawkers. Vendors create a temporary city with row after row of RV’s and tents set up behind the displays. Police and Paramedic stations are on hand to ensure the safety of visitors.
Four hundred acres of vendors
Sponsored by the Grover King VFW Post 1115, the Hillsville Flea Market and Gun Show has operated every year since 1967. The first show attracted just 4,000 visitors. Today, dealers come from as far away as Texas, Michigan, New York, and Ohio; some dealers have attended the show each year for decades. The annual event has become a social gathering place for both dealers and customers, who return each year to visit, renew old ties, and scout for collectibles. The show’s motto, “Where Collectors Collect” is as true today as it was forty-three years ago.
A smaller show is held in Hillsville each Memorial Day, with a crowd about half the size of the Labor Day turnout. The Memorial Day event is held at Bowman’s field, which is in the center of Hillsville on Route 58. Now in its 20th year, the event draws a diverse crowd and offers a large selection of flea market collectibles, antiques, crafts, and food. The Bowman’s flea market is held rain or shine. The location also is a part of the Labor Day Weekend event. Parking is $5.00 per day and admission is free.
Ramp It Up in Whitetop, VA
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU31AS69sJI&feature=related
In England, the plants are known as ramson; in France they are ail sauvage. Native Americans in the Great Lakes area called the plants Chicagou, for which the city of Chicago is named. Elsewhere in the world they are known as wild leeks, wild garlic and spring onions. In the Blue Ridge Mountains and throughout Appalachia, the plants with the pungent taste and odor are called ramps.
For early mountain settlers, ramps were a welcome first sign of spring. Mountain folk who had spent most of the winter in one-and-two room cabins eating dried and canned food and a few root vegetables couldn’t wait to dig up some fresh spring ramps for soups and stews. Ramps can be found abundantly in the wild, but can also be cultivated in vegetable gardens. Ramps can be eaten cooked or raw.
Ramps are a tasty treat
The curative effects of ramps are legendary. They were used in tonics and baths and were said to throw off many of the ailments of winter. The mountain folk may have been onto something: the selenium and sulfur-rich ramp is the subject of intense study in the areas of cancer treatment and prevention.
The tradition of spring ramp-eating is carried on throughout Appalachia. Here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the most popular ramp festival is held the third weekend in May in the town of Whitetop in Grayson County in Southwestern Virginia. The festival is sponsored by the Mount Rogers VFD and features bluegrass music and a barbequed chicken feast complete with fried potatoes and green beans.
The festival’s ramp-eating contest is the featured event. Contestants compete to see who can eat the most ramps (and keep them down) in three minutes.
Damascus, VA: Trail Town
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUN72BRugio&feature=related
In ancient times, it was said that “all roads led to Rome”. Today, the same might be said of Damascus, VA. Damascus is the Blue Ridge Mountain town where seven recreational trails converge: the Appalachian Trail, the Virginia Creeper Trail, the Trans-America National Bicycle Trail, the Iron Mountain Trail, the Daniel Boone Heritage Trail, the Crooked Road Musical Heritage Trail, and Virginia’s Birding and Wildlife Trail. Damascus is also just a short distance from hundreds of miles of other hiking, horse, and biking trails. The Chamber of Commerce uses the nickname Trail Town, U.S.A. “There are so many trails around here that some hardly ever get used,” said Dennet Dwyer, a mountain biker who lives in town and works at a nearby lumber company.
Damascus caters to hikers. The town offers e-mail service at the town hall, mail pickup and registration at the post office; a shuttle service, laundry, hostel and pharmacy to the Appalachian Trail’s thru-hikers. The economy seems to be built on foot traffic; some businesses are supported entirely by hiker dollars.
All trails lead to Damscus. Photo by Richard Smith
Each year on the weekend after Mothers Day, Damascus celebrates it’s relationship with the hikers, cyclists, and nature enthusiasts by hosting the Trail Days Festival. Trail Days is part reunion, part Mardi-Gras. Hikers congregate annually to renew old friendships, tell tall tales about their hiking experiences, and have fun.
The festivities begin with a 5K race and a town-wide yard sale. Young women up to age 18 may enter the Miss Appalachian Trail Days pageant. There are games galore, including Appalachian Trail Jeopardy. There is bluegrass music, food in abundance, vendor displays, workshops, a hikers talent show, bike rides, hikes, storytelling, and a parade. In 2010, there were 150 vendors, 5 musical performances and more than 40 events.
There is lots of parking available for visitors who are not “hiking-in”, and accommodations can be found at nearby motels and bed-and-breakfasts. For adventurous spirits, tent camping is available. In 2011, a new camping area will be opened.
Floyd Allen: Mountain Outlaw
Floyd Allen was executed in the electric chair on 3-28-1913
It started with a kiss and ended with a courtroom shootout. Five people died in the shootout and seven were wounded. A year and two weeks later, Floyd Allen and his son Claude were executed in Virginia’s electric chair for the courthouse murders.
The offending kiss simply lit the fuse on a pre-existing political powder-keg. Two of Floyd’s nephews, Wesley and Sidna Edwards, were at a corn shucking when Wesley kissed a rival’s girlfriend. Tradition held that if a young man shucked a red ear of corn, he got to kiss the girl of his choice. Corn shuckings were social events where neighbors pitched in to help each other, and it was common for a jug of moonshine to passed among the men. Wesley, who had a reputation as a trouble maker, must have had one nip too many. He kissed a girl he should have left alone.
The next day, the girl’s boyfriend showed up at a church meeting with his brother, and called Wesley out to fight. Wesley’s brother Sidna joined in the melee and with the help of some brass knuckles the Edwards boys prevailed. Charges were pressed against the Edwards boys. The boys who started the fight were not charged; the local State’s Attorney was a relative of theirs. To escape prosecution, the boys fled down the mountain to nearby Mt. Airy, NC.
The State’s Attorney was a Republican. The Allens were Democrats. Democrats had ruled in Carroll County VA since after the Civil War. Strong supporters of the Southern Cause during the war, the people of Carroll County had been strongly Democratic for generations. Slowly, one election at a time, the Republicans (the party of Lincoln) gained a foothold in the county.
The Allens had lived in Carroll county since after the American Revolution. They were prosperous by local standards, and politically influential. At the turn of the 20th Century, Floyd Allen was the patriarch of the Allen clan. Floyd was a farmer, storekeeper, and sometimes Deputy Sheriff in the county.
Floyd Allen, patriarch of the Allen clan
For all their power, the Allens had a reputation for feuding, law breaking, moonshining, and violence. Floyd was once charged with shooting a man in North Carolina, and later shooting his cousin. A dedicated bootlegger, he got into a brawl with revenue officers. In another instance, arguing over a barrel of brandy, he got into a gunfight with his own brother, Jack, that left both wounded. Floyd was sentenced to a $100 fine and one hour in jail for wounding his cousin, but refused to go, saying that he “would never spend a minute in jail as long as the blood flowed through his veins”.
Sidna and Wesley were eventually captured in Mt. Airy and brought back up the mountain to Hillsville to go to jail. Each was in a separate wagon driven by deputies. The wagons were intercepted by Floyd, who didn’t like the way his nephews were being treated. An altercation with the deputies ensued, and Floyd bested the deputies. Floyd was later charged with interfering with the deputies in the execution of their duties and arrested.
Fearing that Floyd would not be fairly tried by his political enemies, the Allens were determined that Floyd would not serve jail time. On the day of Floyd’s trial, the Allens filled the courtroom armed with pistols. Court officials, fearing trouble, also showed up armed. When Floyd was found guilty and sentenced to one year in jail, he rose and said “Gentlemen, I just ain’t a-goin”. At that point, bullets began to fly. It is not clear who fired the first shot. Killed were Judge Thornton Massie, Sheriff Lewis Webb, State’s Attorney William Foster, juror C.C. Fowler, and witness Betty Ayers.
Floyd Allen was wounded and escaped to a local hotel, where he was arrested. The remaining clan members fed into the hills. A manhunt was conducted by the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency. The Allen Gang became a national media sensation, with the manhunt and subsequent trials the subject of newspaper articles in every major US city. All of the clan members were eventually apprehended, including two who were captured in Des Moines, Iowa six months later.
Floyd Allen and his son Claude were found guilty of murder and sentenced to die in the electric chair. On March 28, 1913, the sentence was carried out in Richmond, VA.
Mountain Music
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wIzbiihgE4
During the first great American immigration wave from 1740-1750 the Irish and Scots, finding that land in the Northern Colonies was expensive, travelled south along the Great Wagon Road from Philadelphia through the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia. Unlike the Germans who travelled the same route, the Scots-Irish tended to settle in the mountain highlands where land was cheap and they would be left alone.
The Scots-Irish brought their fiddles and musical traditions, and soon became famous for their fiddling, dancing, and partying. It wasn’t long before tunes brought over from Ireland acquired American names and playing styles. “Lord McDonald’s Reel” became “Leather Britches” or “Four Nights Drunk”, depending on which side of the mountain the fiddler lived on.
Folklorist Nick Spitzer calls the area of the Blue Ridge where Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee meet the “Mesopotamia of traditional music in America”. In other words, this is the place where it all started. At the center of these states is Bristol (TN and VA) where the “big bang” of country music started. The recordings known as the “Bristol Sessions” where the Carter Family and Jimmy Rodgers were discovered, gathered their musicians from the local Blue Ridge area.
Old-time music is dance music. Whenever the community would get together for a barn raising or corn shucking and the work was done, the fiddles would come out, the floor would be cleared, and the dancing would start. Jigs and reels from Ireland soon became Americanized; the Virginia Reel is based on an Irish dance. If there was more than one fiddler, the songs would be played in unison (both fiddles playing the same notes at the same time) in the Irish tradition. In Ireland, fiddles, flutes, tin whistles, or pipes would play in unison, combining songs end-to-end to keep the dancing going.
In the 1930’s, old-time music took on new life when Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys combined old-time music with Southern Blues, picked up the tempo, and added high tenor vocals. The new style was called Bluegrass, after Monroe’s band. Bluegrass differs significantly from old-time music; it is a sort of “hillbilly jazz”. Like jazz, bluegrass music features extended solos by each instrument and tight vocals. Bluegrass is about the performance, not the dancing. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to dance to most bluegrass songs.
Today, bluegrass and old-time musicians generally keep separate company. The styles are as far apart as hip-hop and folk music. The modern Southern Mountain culture embraces both styles, however. Bluegrass is the favorite for festival-goers, but old-time music is still played at home and wherever mountain musicians congregate.