The Stars & Stripes Cloggers began to dance together as a team in 1983.  The group began as a square dance clogging team with men and women couples dancing in 4-couple squares.  As the men moved or quit, the team has had to evolve and change, but the focus remains the same:  support each other in good times and bad, have fun and bring some fun to others’ lives, and cherish the heritage.  Many of the members are teachers, so another goal of the team is to encourage kids to clog and work to help them develop healthy mental and physical lifestyles.

The team meets every Wednesday in Victoria, Texas, at the First English Lutheran Church, to practice for 2 hours from 5 P.M. to 7 P.M.  There is no fee for the classes. Members attend as many Texas workshops as possible.  Some of the members are still in elementary school, so the instructor goes to the school and teaches during the kids’ physical education class.  Occasionally, they are all able to get together and dance with the adults.

Stars & Stripes does only a few exhibitions a year.  Some of the members dance for the Veterans’ Day assembly at a local high school every year, others dance at the elementary school a few times a year. The adult group performs for the Lutheran Fall Festival and the Red Cross Awareness Day. The team members are planning to perform publicly more frequently in the coming years as the newer members increase in dancing skills.