About Kettle Bridge Clogs

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We are based in Maidstone, Kent and, as might be expected of a well established and experienced team now in its 28th dancing year, we draw our members from a wide area of Kent and beyond.

[Picture of May Day Procession]
May Day dance over the Kettle Bridge
at Barming by Kettle Bridge Clogs

Our name originates from the 'Kettle Bridge' - an ancient wooden bridge which used to cross the River Medway between Barming and West Farleigh. By tradition, we dance in procession across the new 'Kettle Bridge' each May Day evening at 7.15pm prompt to mark the start of the dancing season and then move on to The Bull Inn - the nearest pub - to dance and celebrate.

Kettle Bridge Clogs specialises in the Morris dances of the North West of England, where it was customary for teams to dance in procession through the streets, wearing their usual working footwear - clogs! The dances the team perform are a mixture of traditionally based dances which take the names of the towns in Cheshire and Lancashire where the dances originated, as well as dances created by the team in the North West style. For our 20th anniversary, we arranged a tour of the North West, to take our dances home!

[Picture of KBC Band]
Kettle Bridge Band at Marlboro Ale 2009
Photo by Jeffrey Bary
Our performances sometimes include Appalachian clogging, a form of step-dancing from the USA, for which the dancers wear tap shoes rather than clogs, accompanied usually by a single fiddle. This dance style has its origins in the north of England, but incorporates influences from other cultures, including French, Irish, African and Native American.

The Kettle Bridge band plays a combination of the instruments which traditionally accompany North West Morris, including accordion, melodeon, fiddle and concertina as well as percussion (to keep the dancers in step!). The tunes played for the dances are a mixture of traditional English folk tunes, military marches and more modern tunes from sources as diverse as Music Hall and the world of pop. See how many you can recognise!

The team performs all over Kent at local events and venues, but also travels further afield. Since 1986, we have danced at festivals and Morris gatherings all over England as well as in Canada, France, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Scotland, Turkey and the United States. For our Silver Jubilee in 2009, we were delighted to be invited to the prestigious Marlboro Ale in Vermont, USA. We are always interested in potential new members. If you are interested in joining the dancers or the band, then give us a call......

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