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What is Cherry City Cloggers?
Cherry City Cloggers is a clogging club based at the Salem Square Dance Center in Salem, Oregon. It runs an Intro to Clogging class for beginners, with a new class starting each September, and it hosts regular dancing for people who have clogged before — the site says experienced cloggers meet every Tuesday at the Square Dance Center. The club also performs demonstrations and maintains a library of cue sheets and videos.
What the site offers
- Classes — a beginner-focused intro class and ongoing sessions; the site directs visitors to a Classes page for details.
- Demos — the club does demonstration performances, with a demo song list posted.
- Cue sheets — organized alphabetically and by difficulty (Easy, Intermediate, Advanced), useful if you already know some steps and want the calls written out.
- Videos — split into step videos and dance videos, so you can preview footwork or full routines before attending.
Who it suits
The two clear audiences are complete beginners willing to start in September, and returning cloggers looking for a weekly Tuesday dance. If you're in or near Salem and want a low-commitment way to try clogging, the intro class is the natural entry point; if you already have a repertoire, the cue sheet and video sections let you judge whether the club's level and style match yours.
Practical next step
Check the Classes page for the current schedule and location, then call (503) 689-3733 or email the club before your first visit to confirm the September start date and whether you need special shoes. As general advice rather than anything stated on this site, clogging is usually done in shoes with a loose toe and a hard sole or taps, so ask before buying anything.
How do I join the Intro to Clogging Class?
The page says a new Intro to Clogging Class begins every September, and that it's the entry point for people who are new to clogging. It doesn't spell out a separate registration form or fee on the page, so the practical route is to contact the club directly and ask to be added to the next September intake.
What to do next
- Use the contact details listed on the site: main phone (503) 689-3733 or [email protected].
- Say you're a beginner interested in the Intro to Clogging Class starting in September, and ask what the first session date is.
- Ask what to bring and wear. Clogging is percussive dance, so shoes matter; a beginner usually starts in comfortable shoes with a hard sole before buying clogging shoes.
- Confirm whether you need a partner. Many clogging groups teach in lines rather than couples, but it's worth checking for this class.
If you've clogged before
The page separates new dancers from experienced ones: newcomers go to the September intro class, while those who have clogged before are invited to join the regular Tuesday sessions at the Square Dance Center. If you're returning after a long break, ask which group fits your level rather than assuming.
Where it happens
Salem Square Dance Center, 3695 45th Ave NE, Salem, Oregon. The site also links to class details and cue sheets, so once you've spoken to the club you can look at the Easy, Intermediate and Advanced cue sheet lists to get a sense of the music and steps used at each level.
For broader context on the dance style, see Clogging.org and, for the wider square and folk dance scene in the region, Oregon Square Dance.
What should I expect at my first clogging class?
At a first clogging class, expect a beginner-friendly, low-pressure session built around learning basic footwork in a group. Cherry City Cloggers describes its Intro to Clogging Class as designed for people who are new to clogging, with a new class starting each September. Experienced cloggers are directed to Tuesday sessions at the Square Dance Center, so the intro class is the entry point for newcomers.
What a typical first class looks like
- Warm-up and basics. You'll likely start with simple steps and repeat them slowly, then add music once the pattern feels comfortable.
- No partner required. Clogging is usually taught in lines or formations, so you can join without bringing a partner.
- Repetition over perfection. Instructors break steps into counts and build combinations gradually.
- Comfortable clothing. Wear loose clothing and shoes that slide a little; many beginners start in everyday shoes before buying clogging shoes.
- A social atmosphere. Expect a mix of ages and experience levels, with people happy to help newcomers.
Practical questions to ask before you go
- Do I need special shoes for the first class, or are regular shoes fine?
- Is the intro class drop-in, or does it run as a set series from September?
- What should I bring — water, a towel, a change of shoes?
- How long is each session, and how often does the group meet?
A useful next step
Check the Classes page on Cherry City Cloggers for current times and location details, then contact the club directly to confirm whether the next Intro to Clogging Class has space. The club meets at the Salem Square Dance Center in Salem, Oregon, and lists a phone number and email for questions. If you've clogged before, the Tuesday sessions are the better fit; if you're brand new, wait for the September intro start or ask whether you can observe a class first.
Where is the Salem Square Dance Center located?
The Salem Square Dance Center is at 3695 45th Ave NE, Salem, Oregon, according to the Cherry City Cloggers site. That address is the club's regular Tuesday venue, and the same page lists a main phone number, (503) 689-3733, plus an email contact.
If you plan to visit, confirm the current schedule first and treat the address as a starting point for your own map search. Coming from central Salem, 45th Ave NE sits in the city's northeast quadrant, so allow extra time if you are crossing town during the evening commute. A quick call is the simplest way to check whether a given Tuesday meeting is on, especially around holidays or the club's September class start.
Can I book Cherry City Cloggers for a demonstration or event?
Yes. Cherry City Cloggers accepts demonstration bookings, and its site lists a dedicated DEMOS section alongside the class and cue sheet pages. The club also publishes a demo song list, which suggests its performance program is already worked out and can be adapted to a range of events.
How to start a booking
Use the club's main contact details from its home page: call (503) 689-3733 or email [email protected]. For a demo request, include the event date, start and end times, location, expected audience size, indoor or outdoor setting, and whether you want a short showcase or an interactive segment where guests can try a few steps.
What the club offers
- Intro to Clogging Class for people new to the dance, with a new class each September
- Weekly dancing on Tuesdays for those who have clogged before
- Demonstrations as a separate activity from regular classes
- Step videos and dance videos so you can see the style before you book
- Cue sheets organized as alphabetical, easy, intermediate and advanced
The cue sheet categories are a practical signal for event planners. If you want a lively floor show, the advanced material will look more polished. If you want audience participation, the easy and intermediate dances are the better starting point.
A realistic reader scenario
Suppose you are organizing a community festival, a school cultural night, or a retirement home entertainment hour. Cherry City Cloggers is based at the Salem Square Dance Center, 3695 45th Ave NE, Salem, Oregon, so the most straightforward fit is an event in or near Salem. For a school assembly, ask for a short performance plus a brief explanation of the shoes and the basic step. For a senior center, ask for seated-friendly viewing and a slower walk-through of one easy dance. For a fair or festival, ask whether the group can perform on a flat, dry surface and how much space the dancers need.
Decision criteria
Book the club if you want traditional American clogging with a local, community-club feel and you can be flexible about scheduling around its Tuesday dance night and September class cycle. Look elsewhere if you need a fully professional stage production with its own sound and lighting, or if your event is far from Salem and travel is a concern. For a first enquiry, calling is usually faster than email if your date is close; email works well if you want to send a detailed event brief.
To see whether the style suits your audience, watch the step and dance videos on Cherry City Cloggers before you make contact.
What are cue sheets and how do they help me learn clogging routines?
Cue sheets are the written reference for a dance routine. In clogging, a cue sheet typically lists the sequence of steps and figures in the order they occur in a song, often with counts or repeats noted, so a dancer can follow along or reconstruct a routine without watching a video. Cherry City Cloggers maintains a cue sheet section on its site, organized alphabetically and also broken into Easy, Intermediate, and Advanced levels, alongside demo song lists and step and dance videos Cherry City Cloggers. That structure tells you the sheets are meant to match routines the club actually teaches and performs, not abstract notation.
How they help you learn
- They slow the routine down. A video moves at performance speed; a cue sheet lets you read one figure at a time and repeat it at your own pace.
- They show structure. Seeing where a chorus repeats or where a break falls helps you memorize the routine as a shape rather than a string of unrelated steps.
- They connect steps to names. If you are new, the Intro to Clogging Class is the entry point, and cue sheets reinforce the vocabulary you learn there.
- They support practice away from class. You can run through a routine at home, then check the step and dance videos when a figure is unclear.
A practical way to use them
Pick one Easy-level sheet for a song you like. Read it through once without dancing, marking any step names you do not recognize. Look those steps up in the step videos, practice each in isolation, then walk the full sequence slowly before trying it with music. Once it feels familiar, use the dance video to check timing and styling rather than to learn the sequence from scratch.
Choosing between cue sheets and videos
| Resource | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Cue sheet | Memorizing order, practicing without a screen, spotting repeats | Gives no sense of timing, rhythm or body styling |
| Step video | Learning a single figure correctly | Does not show how the figure fits the whole routine |
| Dance video | Seeing the routine at tempo with music | Hard to follow when you are still learning the steps |
For a beginner, the sensible order is step video, then cue sheet, then dance video. Experienced cloggers often reverse it, using the cue sheet only as a memory jog before a class or demo.
If you are in the Salem, Oregon area and new to the dance, the club's Tuesday sessions at the Square Dance Center and its September intro class are the natural starting point; ask there which cue sheets match the routines currently being taught, since those will be the most useful ones to practice.
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