I couldn't overlook the fact that this 1965 dance event took place in Asheville, NC - one of the towns that was severely affected by Hurricane Helene.

This video hearkens back to an innocent period in American history when musicians and dancers could band together freely and have a great time in a social setting...
-NW

My God Aren't These 1960s Bluegrass Clog Dancers Magnificent To See?
David Hoffman
July 14, 2009
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs2j8f7H2WY

DESCRIPTION

In 1965 I was making my first documentary for television. I once titled it Music Makers of the Blue Ridge but these days I title it Bluegrass Roots. I was 23 years old and I was headed to the mountains of North Carolina, to Asheville, to meet and film 82 year old Bascom Lamar Lunsford. I had written him a letter asking if I could accompany him as he sought talent for his great music and clog dance festival - the Asheville Mountain Music Festival which had been going on since 1929!

I spent weeks shooting this film with Bascom and his wife Freda, filming with a 16 mm sound camera and a friend carrying a Nagra audio recorder. Bascom told me that he was going to invite a clog dance group to his house in South Turkey Creek about 12 miles out of Asheville for a dance demonstration. He said he would roll up the living room rug so we could hear their feet as they clogged on the wooden floor. And so this scene happened and I absolutely loved filming it.

Although my camera rig was 49 pounds with a battery, I danced with the dancers with glee and recorded one of the best scenes that I have ever filmed. And the back up musicians? The best in bluegrass, mountain, old time music. The musicians included Obray Ramsey and Bascom's relative Ray Lunsford. In one moment you can see me & my camera in the mirror filming the scene.

In the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina clog dancing has been an important part of social gatherings, community events and local celebrations. It was historically a way for communities to come together, share storie, and pass down traditions through generations. Nowadays, it is still a vibrant part of the region's cultural heritage and is often showcased at festivals, fairs, and local performances. Various dance groups and schools help to preserve this tradition, teaching new generations of dancers the steps and history of clog dancing in Appalachia.