Robert E Lee

 

Robert E Lee was a popular Broadway Song from the turn of the century musical “The Jazz Singer”. Neil Diamond recorded the song and modern cloggers choreographed this dance to his recording. John Faulkner modified that choreography to fit the standard phrasing of American fiddle music.  You can perform this to many standard fiddle tunes just as we do.

 

On the Video Tape you will see Patchwork in four performances of "Robert E Lee” with different bands and different tunes; as well as a thorough teaching of the dance. We teach this dance to beginners and they perform this with us at our shows, if you learn this dance do come and dance it with us!

You can purchase the video by sending the form to the national clogging association by sending this FORM. You can also purchase this and other clogging videos through their resource library. Or, can visit the national clogging association.

Sequence: Introduction, Part A, Part B, Part A, ending

Music: This dance was not written to a tune but to a pattern of phrases so we could dance it to live music of any tune that fit these phrases. The introduction is two counts of 8. Part A is 6 counts of 8. The first 2 counts of 8 use the same dance steps as the last two 8 counts, the 5th and 6th 8 count. Part B is 8 counts of 8. The first 3 counts of 8 have the same steps as the last 3, the 6th, 7th and 8th. The ending is two counts of 8

This is ABA form and often A is one tune and B is a contrasting tune. Many dance bands can adapt tunes to fit this pattern.

We often perform to an old recording of Swallowtail's St. Ann's Reel. We have also danced to Ralph Stanley's Clinch Mountain Boy"s tune Black Mountain Rag. We also dance this to the tune Spookleberry's as played live for us by the band Jump Start.

Introduction

Step Step Slide
            S S Slide
            L R R
1 2 3 4 5 6 7& 8

Step Step Slide
            S S Slide
            L R R
1 2 3 4 5 6 7& 8

 

 

Part A

A1: 2 basics and a sailor starting on the L  

DS RS DS RS DS Slide S Slide S S S
L L L R L R R R L R L L L L R R L R L

&a1

 &2  &a3 &4  &a5   &6 &7  &8

A1: 2 basics and a sailor starting on the R, repeat A1 starting on R  

DS RS DS RS DS Slide S Slide S S S
R RR L R L LL R L R RR R L L R L R

&a1

 &2  &a3 &4  &a5   &6 &7  &8

 

A2: Triple, two double Steps, and brush heel drop step while turning to back  

DS DS DS RS DS DS Brush Heel H S
L L L R R R L L L R L R R R L L L R 1/2 turn to left L R

&a1

 &a2  &a3 &4  &a5   &a6 7  &8

Alternate heel click on "e" before &8

 

A2: Repeat A2 to face front or Triple, two double Steps, and brush heel drop step while turning to front  

DS DS DS RS DS DS Brush Heel H S
L L L R R R L L L R L R R R L L L R 1/2 turn to left L R

&a1

 &a2  &a3 &4  &a5   &a6 7  &8

Alternate heel click on "e" before &8

 

Repeat A1

 

A1: 2 basics and a sailor starting on the L  

DS RS DS RS DS Slide S Slide S S S
L L L R L R R R L R L L L L R R L R L

&a1

 &2  &a3 &4  &a5   &6 &7  &8

A1: 2 basics and a sailor starting on the R, repeat A1 starting on R  

DS RS DS RS DS Slide S Slide S S S
R RR L R L LL R L R RR R L L R L R

&a1

 &2  &a3 &4  &a5   &6 &7  &8

 

 

Part B

 

B1: 2 Basics and a syncopated step  

DS RS DS RS DS Slide S S Slide S Slide
L L L R L R R R L R L L L L R L L R R

&a1

 &2  &a3 &4  &a5   &6 &7  &8

 

B2: Toe rolls forwards  

Toe Heel Toe Heel Toe Heel Toe Heel Toe Heel Toe Heel Toe Heel S S
L L R R L L R R L L R R L L R L

&1

 &2  &3 &4  &5  &6 &7  &8

Toe step is turned out then swivel to parallel for heel drop, each toe is forward, so you are moving forward.

 

B3: Double steps back  
S DS DS DS DS DS DS S S
R L L L R R R L L L R R R L L L R R R L R

1

 &a2  &a3 &a4  &a5 &a6 &a7  &8

Cross in back for each step (xb) of the double steps (DS) to double step backwards

B4: 2 basics and syncopated brush, starting on L

DS RS DS RS DS Slide S DS Brush Slide
L L L R L R R R L R L L L L R L L L R L

&a1

 &2  &a3 &4  &a5 &6 &a7  &8

Syncopated brush starts the same as the syncopated but has a different ending.

B4: 2 basics and syncopated brush, starting on R

DS RS DS RS DS Slide S DS Brush Slide
R R R L R L L L R L R R R R L R R R L R

&a1

 &2  &a3 &4  &a5 &6 &a7  &8

Syncopated brush starts the same as the syncopated but has a different ending.

The remaining part of Part B repeats B1 B2 and B3, except the toe rows go backwards and the double steps forward.

B1: 2 Basics and a syncopated step  

DS RS DS RS DS Slide S S Slide S Slide
L L L R L R R R L R L L L L R L L R R

&a1

 &2  &a3 &4  &a5   &6 &7  &8

 

B2: Toe rolls backwards  

Toe Heel Toe Heel Toe Heel Toe Heel Toe Heel Toe Heel Toe Heel S S
L L R R L L R R L L R R L L R L

&1

 &2  &3 &4  &5  &6 &7  &8

Toe step is turned out then swivel to parallel for heel drop, each toe is in back, so you are moving backwards.

 

B3: Double steps forward  
S DS DS DS DS DS DS S S
R L L L R R R L L L R R R L L L R R R L R

1

 &a2  &a3 &a4  &a5 &a6 &a7  &8

Cross in back for each step (xf) of the double steps (DS) to double step forward

 

                                                                                   

Repeat Part A

 

Part A

A1: 2 basics and a sailor starting on the L  

DS RS DS RS DS Slide S Slide S S S
L L L R L R R R L R L L L L R R L R L

&a1

 &2  &a3 &4  &a5   &6 &7  &8

A1: 2 basics and a sailor starting on the R, repeat A1 starting on R  

DS RS DS RS DS Slide S Slide S S S
R RR L R L LL R L R RR R L L R L R

&a1

 &2  &a3 &4  &a5   &6 &7  &8

 

A2: Triple, two double Steps, and brush heel drop step while turning to back  

DS DS DS RS DS DS Brush Heel H S
L L L R R R L L L R L R R R L L L R 1/2 turn to left L R

&a1

 &a2  &a3 &4  &a5   &a6 7  &8

Alternate heel click on "e" before &8

 

A2: Repeat A2 to face front or Triple, two double Steps, and brush heel drop step while turning to front  

DS DS DS RS DS DS Brush Heel H S
L L L R R R L L L R L R R R L L L R 1/2 turn to left L R

&a1

 &a2  &a3 &4  &a5   &a6 7  &8

Alternate heel click on "e" before &8

 

Repeat A1

 

A1: 2 basics and a sailor starting on the L  

DS RS DS RS DS Slide S Slide S S S
L L L R L R R R L R L L L L R R L R L

&a1

 &2  &a3 &4  &a5   &6 &7  &8

A1: 2 basics and a sailor starting on the R, repeat A1 starting on R  

DS RS DS RS DS Slide S Slide S S S
R RR L R L LL R L R RR R L L R L R

&a1

 &2  &a3 &4  &a5   &6 &7  &8

 

 

Ending Sequence

 

B1: 2 Basics and a syncopated step  

DS RS DS RS DS Slide S S Slide S Slide
L L L R L R R R L R L L L L R L L R R

&a1

 &2  &a3 &4  &a5   &6 &7  &8

 

Ending: 3 basics and sidewinder  

DS RS DS RS DS RS D Heel S Slide
L L L R L R R R L R L L L L R L L R R

&a1

 &2  &a3 &4  &a5   &6 &7  &8

On the 3 basics, turn all the way around. The sidewinder is simplified. The actual sidewinder, drag on L while double (D) up on R, then slide on L , then drag on L, and jump to R.