HAVE YOU SEEN THE COUNTY'S LEADING APPALACHIAN STEP DANCERS

They are a group of female dancers and their band who all enjoy performing Appalachian Step Dancing. Most are from the Hereford & Worcester area, and the group was formed back in 1990.

They have extensively toured in the UK, dancing at venues as diverse as national folk festivals to local fetes and charity events. They have also been invited to dance in Normandy for the past few years, where they have become known as “Les Belles Blondes”.

Appalachian dancing is an American folk dance that has its origins in the southern Appalachian Mountains of the USA. While it has strong ties to the step dance of the British Isles, the dance is also influenced by the traditional dance of native Americans and the solo “buck & wing” dance of American blacks.

The dancers wear taps on their shoes to create the percussion for the band – and we challenge you to listen and keep your feet still to the fast and lively music

All the dances are original, choreographed by the group, using many traditional steps, handed down over generations, and adapted to their own, unique style of performance.

The music that Soft Option dances to is that of the “old time” style, and was originally played on the fiddle. However, through the years, other instruments such as banjo, bass, guitar and mandolin have been added.

PA is usually necessary for performances and will be provided by the group, but access to mains electricity or a quiet generator is neccessary.

As the dancers wear tap shoes, a wooden floor is essential for this type of dance - Soft Option normally provide their own staging. The boards can be set up on most flat, even surfaces and the area covered is variable from 2 x 2m to 5 x 4m.