Patchwork Email
Patchwork Pictures
We dance with a joy and enthusiasm that we share with our audience. We dance to a variety of music including old-time, bluegrass or Celtic fiddle music and we welcome the audience to clogg with us. We want everyone to dance! Do come to our performances, have us perform for you, join our classes, and join our team. Any question or interest email Jim Maxwell.
Patchwork's began as an Appalachian dance team from the "Green Grass" tradition. Clogging tradition is based on Celtic roots from the Irish and Scots that migrated to the Appalachian Mountains and is American's step dance. Authoritative tracing of this evolving dance style of people who did not read nor write out their dances but we can contrast the existing styles. Contrasting a Patchwork of dance styles; Appalachian clogging, modern clogging, Irish, Cape Breton, and a fusion of Irish with clogging. Depending on the interests of the dancers we have also choreographed and performed tap, swing, and jazz. Come dance your style with us.
We serve our community by teaching dances at recreation centers, private dance studios, and in our homes. We educate the public in the art of Appalachian Dancing, and seek to bring out the dancer in all of us. Jim teaches classes at Audrey Moore and Providence Recreation Centers in Fairfax County Virginia and at his house, just go to classes for a list of classes. Other Patchwork members also teach. just let us know of your interest. Patchwork rehearses every Wednesday at the Hermitage in Alexandria Virginia and in our homes. You are welcome to join us!
You can also learn on your own by purchasing our video teach of the Robert E Lee which include 4 performances by Patchwork of the Robert E Lee as well as teaching the steps of the routine.
You can read about the director's joy in teaching and performing in the Washington Post story
You can also access our clogging links for clogging resources and our Irish links for Irish resources.
We serve our community by performing. We perform at Celtic and national festivals, retirement homes, churches, festivals, camps, parks, picnics, and for TV. See our list of our 2008 performances, you can link back through the 2001 through 2007 performances from the current performances. You can also scroll through our pictures taken at prior performances. We can set up shows, teaching, and dances in a variety of ways, please email us, Jim Maxwell.
We have received a number of honors. The group received First place award for service to special audiences from the Fairfax County Council for the Arts. The following is text from that award.
"Patchwork Dancers. This group of volunteer dancers perform for a variety of audiences throughout the Northern Virginia area, showcasing the tradition and history of clogging. They travel and are accompanied by a live fiddle band. Many of the performances are for residents of retirement homes, many of whom cannot otherwise experience a live performance."
We serve our members, we want everyone to join and stay. We develope profesional shows but none of us are professional dancers, dancing is not the main source of income for any member. Our environment is a low-keyed and low-pressured performance environment with mutual support, respect, and appreciation. We teach and share dances among our members, and develop workshops for our members. We also accommode the performer's personal schedule; no member is expected to dance in every performance and every dance during a performance.
Pathwork's primary income is from performing, which is used to cover Patchwork expenses and member expenses and we try to make it possible for all members to be part of this organization without any large expenditures. We think it's enough that talented performers volunteer their time without also having to add a lot of additional expenses to their burden
Jim Maxwell is the director but all dancers work together to develop a professional and entertaining show. Please call or email any member but especially Jim Maxwell, . So if you want to learn our routines and perform with us, just give us a call.
Jim Maxwell 703 597 8180 (home) or 202 401 3571 (work) or JpMaxwell@yahoo.com.
