The Depot District in Smyrna recently hosted an international dancing troupe from the United Kingdom. They danced in the street in front of The British Shoppe on Lowery Street as part of the International Folk Fest.
In 1982, Steve Cates, Executive Director and Founder, International FolkFest, and other members of the Cripple Creek Cloggers began the International Folk Fest after their first international folkloric festival experience at the International Festival in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1977. That trip was the result of a trip that Cates made in 1976 to visit a friend who lived there.
“Knowing of my interest in folk dancing, he arranged for us to go…to a show by AREYTO, the Ballet Folklorico of Puerto Rico,” explained Cates. “I was so overwhelmed by the show that I hurried backstage to thank the troupe and meet the director, Irene McLean… she invited us to come to her festival… [and she] introduced us to directors of other troupes from festivals around the world. In 1979, we traveled to festivals in France and Spain. This led us to begin the International Folk Fest.”
Now, International Folk Fest in Murfreesboro is one of only three international folklore festivals of this type still functioning in the United States. The other two are in Springville, Utah and Burley, Idaho. These festivals act as cultural exchanges. Troupes from other countries travel to Murfreesboro to share their culture through music and dancing, and the Cripple Creek Cloggers of Murfreesboro travel to their countries to perform traditional old-time American country dances, like square dancing and clogging.
“The best way to fulfill our mission of promoting international cultures is to physically bring them to our country and vice versa,” says the organization’s website. “For years, International Folkloric Society Planning Council, Inc. (IFS) has played a large role in sending traditional Appalachian dancers and musicians to festivals all over the world. Likewise, IFS has made it possible for overseas performers to bring their talents and heritage to our local communities.”
Cross-cultural relationships have a number of benefits, including increased cross-culture understanding, exposure to diverse points of view, enhanced communication, better interpersonal relationships, opportunities for personal growth, enriched experience, greater tolerance and acceptance of others, learning of new languages and customs, more openness, and increased creativity.
According to WGNS, for 42 years the Cripple Creek Cloggers have toured the world visiting places like Canada, Mexico, Belize, Curacao, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Taiwan, Thailand and most countries in Western, Central and Eastern Europe, as well as places that no longer exist, like Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia. In turn, dance troupes from those countries have come to Rutherford County as part of International Fest.
International Fest has participated in many events in the county. They were for years part of the entertainment at Murfreesboro Arts and Humanities Council’s Street Fest which took place on East Main Street each May for many years through the 1990s. And this year, they entertained at Carpe Artista’s annual Simply Smyrna arts and music festival. Something they will be repeating next year, according to Ron Alley, Executive Director and Founder of Carpe Artista. They have also performed at schools, for civic organizations, and at youth and senior centers.
After four years of sponsoring the International Folkfest under the Cripple Creek Cloggers banner, the IFS was formed as a non-profit organization based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee to promote and preserve international cultural heritage with a primary focus on the arts.
“Wherever dance troupes have performed, they have provided communities with the opportunity to build up local businesses and tourism, as well as promote cultural diversity by supporting international festivals,” says the organization’s website. “In order to maintain relationships and interest, it is the policy of IFS to keep the expenses of international guests to a minimum. Upon arrival in the community, IFS ensures that all food, lodging and transportation are provided to performers (excluding international airfare).” When Cripple Creek Cloggers travel, they receive the same goodwill.
“[Cripple Creek Cloggers performing with Blue Ridge Mountain Bluegrass] just returned from representing the United States in folkloric festivals in the Czech Republic,” said Cates. “This is the first major trip without me and it was managed beautifully! What a feeling of freedom and pride I have!”
The history of this festival and the Cripple Creek Cloggers has recently been transferred to the Special Collections Section at Middle Tennessee State University’s James E. Walker Library. The library will preserve memorabilia covering the 57-year history of the Kittrell 4-H Dancers, Rutherford County Square Dancers and Cripple Creek Cloggers as they have served as goodwill ambassadors locally as well as around the world, which includes the history of the International Folk Fest.
“I am especially thankful to Susan Martin and Susan Hanson from the Walker Library’s Special Collections for making all this happen,” said Cates on his Facebook page. “Our International Folk Fest Planning Committee member, Katy Ginanni, got the ball rolling with an initial contact. Ron Aday, also a member of the planning committee and longtime Folk Fest volunteer, as well as a former member of Cripple Creek Cloggers, has been instrumental in this process as well.” Others involved in the transfer of memorabilia included Ron and Phila Chandler, John Lodl, Hillary Brown, the Rutherford County Archives, and Middle Tennessee State University’s Gore Center.
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