Get your clogs on! Here are some fascinating productions and resources from Heather Blasdale-Clarke and the Early Colonial Dance folk:
WEB RESOURCE Dancing on convict ships
On a number of convict ships the surgeons actively encouraged the convicts in their care to dance. This regime was noted in their Medical Journals.
"As I consider that tranquility of mind is most essential to bodily health…I therefore caused [the convicts] to be let on deck from an early time of the morning until the close of the day…They were allowed to amuse themselves by running about, dancing, or in any innocent way whenever the duty of the ship would admit of it."
From the Medical Journal of William Leyson, Surgeon on the convict ship Henry Wellesley 1837.
Explore this exciting new addition to the website here
PODCAST Heather Clarke is interviewed by Jennifer Twemlow about life onboard convict ships.
Life onboard the early convict transportation ships could be brutal. The mortality rate was often high. Dr Heather Clarke describes the conditions of these early voyages and the turning point that brought about better conditions for convicts. She also discusses a much-loved form of exercise on the ships - dancing and music. Listen now
RESOURCE Traditional Australian clog dance.
Two of our recent performances at Samford and Cedar Creek have included displays of English clog dancing. This was an extremely popular pastime in colonial Australia. Some of our dancers have asked to learn more. Here's the story.
And there’s even more at Australian Colonial Dance