Moses Lake cloggers place at nationals

MOSES LAKE - Eleven Basin cloggers can now say they're among the best in the nation.

The Rock'N B Cloggers' Extreme Team traveled to Nashville, Tenn., Labor Day weekend to compete in the USA National Clogging Championships. The team of 11 girls competed in six team events at the competition, Coach Toby Black said.

They placed in all six, with four of their dances specifically earning the championship title, he said. The team was also named second place overall Division 1 Grand Champion.

The Rock'N B Cloggers was the only team west of Colorado at the competition, Black said.

"There were like 800, 900 dancers there and we were the only team from the West," he said. "So to go down there and be able to place is a really big deal."

The Extreme Team earned the chance to compete at nationals by placing at the Southwest Clogging Championship in Arizona this past July, Black said.

Black said the girls did really well at nationals considering they had never competed against any of the other teams at the competition.

"We never see those teams unless we go to nationals," he said. "So it's pretty exciting that they were able to hold their own."

The team was nervous at first, but they quickly overcame that, Black said.

"When you're competing with eight to nine teams in every category, you just tell yourself you're going for the experience," he said. "That's what they told themselves, but when they started winning and realized they were just as good as everybody else, then they got really pumped."

Black said he is extremely proud of the team for doing so well at nationals.

"They worked hard and performed well, it was a great trip," he said.

But the team is probably equally as proud of Black as he is of them.

During the competition, judges called Black up to the stage.

"They usually don't call you up unless you broke a rule, but we hadn't danced yet, so I had no idea what was going on," Black said.

It turned out Black was being inducted into the USA National Clogging Hall of Fame, an honor given to individuals who have supported and continued the progression of clogging.

"I had no idea, it was so overwhelming," he said. "To be included among people that have been involved in clogging for more than 50 years- it was amazing, I didn't feel worthy."

Black has promoted clogging in the Basin for more than a decade. He's had his studio in Moses Lake for 17 years, he said.

"My wife Rosalie teaches ballet and jazz and I do hip-hop, cheer and clogging," Black said.