Aldbrickham Clog & Step Dancers
Aldbrickham Clog & Step Dancers was formed on 17th April 2001 and takes its name
from Thomas Hardy’s name for Reading.
We perform traditional dances from Britain to live music. Aldbrickham Clog evolved
from the Reading Traditional & Step Dance Group, a group which played an important
part in preserving and performing many dances which might otherwise have been lost.
AbC performs both in clogs and shoes. In case you are wondering, the type of clogs
which were worn in Britain have wooden soles and leather uppers with laces.
Step dances are traditional dances in hard soled shoes with rhythmic step patterns.
Dances are for both groups and soloists, and have been collected from all over the
British Isles. Our repertoire also includes music hall dances which are an important
part of the clog and step dance heritage.
Our costume is based on the working clothes worn in the countryside until about 1914.
We practice at Park URC Palmer Park Avenue, at 8.15 pm on Tuesdays. In the summer
we often dance with other groups so please check the events page or phone or email
to check that we will be there.
Aldbrickham Clog dances at events in Berkshire and across the south east. During
the summer, the group dances with other local groups at pubs in the area.
Other appearances include Oxford Folk Festival, Chippenham Folk Festival, Reading
Waterfest, Diamond Jubilee Celebration at Mapledurham House, Stoke Row Steam Fair,
Wallingford Bunkfest, and Düsseldorf, Reading's twin town.
Thank you to Andrew Godfrey, Mark Iliff and John Turner for the use of their photos
Stoke Row Steam Fair 2012
Stoke Row Steam Fair 2012
Double Lead Through - normally danced with 6 dancers, here danced by 4
New Dancers & Musicians welcome
Ashmolean Museum, April 2013
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford April 2013
