Keep clogging and carry on

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/05/2020 (2039 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Darolyn Pchajek knows how to put her best foot forward.

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures, the longtime clogging instructor and proprietor of Dare to Clog Dancers is currently livestreaming her regular classes on her YouTube channel — Dare to Clog — on Monday and Thursday evenings. She has also started classes for beginners on Tuesday and Friday mornings.

“I’d been regularly teaching at Harrow United Church, and they said I can still use the church for my classes if I want to,” said Pchajek, who lives in south St. Vital. “I now have more than 200 views per night, and participants can follow the livestream or watch it after the fact. I know so many people are thankful they’re able to take part like this. I’ve also started a beginner’s class for people starting from scratch.”

It’s fair to say Pchajek, 52, has become a big presence in the clogging world, especially in North America. She has travelled extensively in the U.S., appearing at numerous workshops and conventions through the years, and she was the featured instructor at the 2018 National Clogging Convention in Burnie, Tasmania.

On home soil, the married mother of three — she taught clogging throughout all three pregnancies — was a key figure at the inaugural Canadian National Clogging Convention in Waterloo, Ont. last October. Locally, she a member of the Clogging Leaders’ Association of Manitoba, along with Gerald Laking in Winnipeg, Heather Kerr and Lyndsey Simpson in Portage la Prairie, and Barb Berry in Brandon.

“I’m truly blessed to be able to do what I love,” said Pchajek, noting her youngest child — 13-year-old Andrew — has “gotten into it, too” and joins her for the classes, making it a family affair.

To alleviate any possible confusion, Pchajek points out that clogging dancers don’t wear clogs — they wear tap shoes. In fact, many former tap dancers have joined her classes. As people get older, clogging tends to be easier on the knees and the joints, she said.

A quick glance at the sample cue sheets on Pchajek’s website shows clogging can be performed to any number of musical genres, including rock, pop, country and bluegrass.

And as the popularity of her YouTube classes to continues to grow, Pchajek is inviting potential new participants to join her for the dance.

“If anyone’s interested, I hope in-person classes will be resuming in September, if things are back to normal by then,” she said. 

    
“One good thing about going digital is that you can try it from the comfort of your own living room and see if you like it.”

Go online at www.daretoclog.com for more information.