THE HEARTLAND HOEDOWNERS WERE ESTABLISHED BY DIRECTOR RENNAE  IN 1987

The Heartland Hoedowners are a dance organization made up of dancers ranging in age from 7-18 years old from Elkhorn, NE. The Heartland Hoedowners were formed by our instructor and choreographer Rennae Tieken.  The group began with only 12 dancers in 1987 and has grown now to over 100 boys and girls. Clogging requires an immense amount of dedication. Our teams can average over 40 shows a year. We have dancers from all over that come to learn clogging and other forms of dance.  Our students represent many communities in Nebraska: Arlington, Bennington, Blair, Elkhorn, Fremont, Gretna, Kennard, Omaha, Valley, and Waterloo, in Iowa: Council Bluffs, Honey Creek, and Logan.

The roots of American clogging are a blending of numerous folk dances that were brought here by the early settlers of the Appalachian Mountains. Irish, German, English, Dutch, and African American influences are a part of the dance that has evolved into American Clogging. Originally clogging was performed as a solo step dance and the arms were held down and tight to the body so all the attention was focused on the leg movements. Arm motions and dance formations have been added over the years and we now perform many of our dances to modern music. However, country and traditional bluegrass remains the most popular music that clogging is performed to.

Clogging does involve special shoes made of soft leather with hard soles and is equipped with a double metal tap on the toe and heel to enhance the tapping sounds.  A scuffing or stomping of the heel keeps the time or beat while the toe is tapped to the down beat of the music. Clogging also takes a lot of energy. If you clog for 30 minutes straight, it is said to be equal to 7 miles of jogging.  This keeps our dancers keep in good shape.

Besides performing on a weekly basis, the Heartland Hoedowners have been in many national competitions at Myrtle Beach, Orlando, and New York City. We have won numerous awards for both skills and costumes. The Heartland Hoedowners have had the privilege to participate in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parades in New York City in 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003 and are in the process of applying for 2005. We also provide clogging entertainment for local fairs, parades, community celebrations, nursing homes, business conventions, festivals, and many other events.