West Plain, MO. – As a special feature at the Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival this year, veteran jig dancers Andy and Jane Elder, along with Willi Carlisle, will conduct a jig workshop for middle-school students on Friday, June 3, 1PM in the Exhibit Hall of the West Plains Civic Center.
The Elders are working hard to pass along the traditional dance steps of the Ozark Highlands. You can read their story in this recent article by Ozarks Alive: Ozarks couple helps keep square dancing alive — Ozarks Alive
Experienced string band musicians from south-central and southwest Missouri who are thoroughly familiar with regional square dance traditions, led by fiddlers David Scrivner and Ashley Hull Forrest, banjo player Nathan McAlister and guitar player Joel Hinds, provide live musical accompaniment for the dancing.
Traditional jig dancing will again be featured at this year’s Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival in downtown West Plains, Mo. The Bob Holt Old Time Jig Dancing Competition will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 4, in the Civic Center Theater.
Within the southern folk tradition, there are several styles of solo, freestyle dances, organizers said. Flatfooting and buckdancing are two of the most common forms. In the Ozarks, the term “jig” is frequently used to describe this style of dance.
Although these dances are all loosely related, they also are distinctly different. The word “jig” dates back at least to 1500 AD and is probably somewhat older in usage. It describes a solo dance that originated in the British Isles where it consisted of repeated hops on one foot while the free foot pointed patterns in the air – heel and toe, front, side or back.
The Ozark jig draws not only from British tradition, but also from American Indian and African cultures. It basically consists of movement from the hips down while the upper body is held erect, organizers explained. Emphasis is on leg rather than body movements, and the steps are individualistic and virtually limitless. The feet serve as a rhythm instrument, and the sound of the shoes striking the floor beats the time of the music.
Even though several jig dancers may take to the floor at the same time, each dancer’s steps are improvised without regard to the movement of the other dancers. When jig steps are incorporated into square dances, no effort is made to synchronize steps with other dancers in the square, organizers explained.
Another major difference in the British and Ozark versions of the jig is the rhythm of the dance, they added. In the British Isles, the jig was danced to a lilting 6/8 rhythm. Ozark dancers prefer extremely fast-paced, driving 2/2 or 2/4 hoedowns. The Ozark style of jig is a “freestyle” dance form identified with northern Arkansas and southern Missouri.
The annual event in downtown West Plains, MO celebrates Ozarks music and culture. Admission to all festival events is free. Festival hours are 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday June 3 and 4.
2022 Festival partners include the West Plains Council on the Arts, the City of West Plains, Missouri State University-West Plains, the Ozark Heritage Welcome Center, and the West Plains Civic Center. Partial funding for this event was provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
For more information on the festival e-mail info@westplainsarts.org, visit the website at http://www.oldtimemusic.org, or “like” the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Old.Time.Music.Festival
