This article is about a form of folk dance practised in the Netherlands. For other forms of clog dance, see Clog-dancing.
This article is about the dance. For the construction of wooden clogs, see Klomp.
Traditional dancing in the Netherlands is often called "Folkloristisch", sometimes "Boerendansen" ("farmer-dancing") or "Klompendansen" (clog dancing).[1] Wooden shoes are worn as an essential part of the traditional costume for Dutch clogging, or klompendanskunst. Clogs for dancing are made lighter than the traditional 700-year-old design. The soles are made from ash wood, and the top part is cut lower by the ankle. Dancers create a rhythm by tapping the toes and heels on a wooden floor.
In 2006, nearly 500 teenagers attempted the "Guinness Book of World Records" bid for the largest number of clog dancers.[2] It took place in The Hague. They were dancing the ballet version of the Dutch clog dance rather than the folk version. The ballet La fille mal gardée contains a well-known clog dance. For this specific dance the choreography was created by Stanley Holden (1928–2007), though Frederick Ashton took overall responsibility for it.
