Unbeknownst to Zeb, he was being filmed by Jason Jordan, vacationing with his wife from Atlanta. Jordan paired the performance with the hip hop song, “Here Comes the Hotstepper,” posted it on TikTok, and the video went viral. Next thing you know, Eggs Tyrone blew them up on Instagram paired with “I’m a Thug” by Trick Daddy. When Zeb’s mother, Kim Ross heard about the “viral” social media sensation, she thought somebody was sick. But just like that, clogging was cool again.

Dancing Roots

Kim Ross started J Creek Cloggers in 2009 with eight members as a way to have fun dancing while educating others about the regional Appalachian dance. Her son Zeb, the most well-known of the group, claims that he has been dancing since he was in his mama’s belly. Another clogging group from Haywood County, the Soco Gap Dancers, led by Sam Love Queen Sr., danced for FDR and the king and queen of England at the White House in 1939 — dubbed “the picnic that won the war” for strengthening the alliance between the United States and England.

“We’re preserving the same type of dance that was done in the late ’20s,” Kim says. In the 1800s, square dancers never broke the circle, but North Carolina is credited for being the first to change that. The team is all freestyle — some flatfoot, some buck dancing — but they’re all in rhythm, even with different footwork. “Often people assume that the dance is Irish, but it’s a mixture of Dutch, German and Cherokee,” Kim says. The buck dancing the team does is a style that originated as a folk dance among African Americans during slavery, largely in the North Carolina Piedmont.

Wowing crowds

People have come from all over the country, and even as far as Poland, Wales, England and Ireland to see their shows.

“My favorite part is the multi-talented individuals,” Jill Campbell from Michigan says. “Not only does the team dance, Zeb has the fancy footwork!” He also sings and plays the guitar along with Terry on the team, while Kim tells about the history and culture. “The entire team makes you feel a part of something and brings a smile to your face.”

”Since they’ve gone viral, clog dancing has grown in popularity from the surrounding states to outside the country.

“My favorite part of the show is seeing how each team member has their own spin on clogging. Each person has their own style and rhythm, and it is truly incredible to watch,” says Maddie Pyle, who often comes to the shows from Tennessee. “It’s truly something worth coming and seeing … They are the most down-to-earth, friendly people, and you may even learn a few dance moves.

”The most eye-catching parts of the group’s costumes are the multi-layered circle skirts, or circle dresses, made by Kim’s mom, with poofy crinoline underneath. Men typically wear jeans and a nice shirt (like the famous blue polo shirt Zeb is known for). And of course, there are the clogging shoes and taps.

“The way I dance on the side of my feet, I was going through a pair of shoes about every month,” Zeb says. He has since found that thicker shoes like Puma or Nike work better. “I just glue the taps on, and they last longer.”

The taps Kim wears are called buck taps, which are made of two jingly plates to create a secondary sound, unlike jazz taps made from single pieces of metal.

Spreading popularity

Today the J Creek Cloggers boasts 25 members, almost a quarter of a million Instagram followers, and travels around the country performing everywhere from the Charlotte Motor Speedway to halftime at a Tennessee basketball game. Zeb was even on the CMA awards with Peyton Manning and Luke Bryan and Cole Swindell’s official music video “Drinkaby.” There’s even a “Fast Feet” move in the Fortnite video game modeled after Zeb’s carefree clogging.

“For me, dancing is the easiest way for me to just talk,” Zeb says. “There’s been times we’ve gone to other places and we couldn’t speak the same language, but we could share the same dance.

”Since they’ve gone viral, clog dancing has grown in popularity from the surrounding states to outside the country.

“It’s brought everything back, which we’re thankful for,” Zeb says. Team members now range in age from 80 to 13-year-old Addison Nathan, who started dancing at only two years old.

“I saw my mom dancing and thought it was fun,” Addison says. “I like to make up my own moves dancing, and all of the team members’ moves are kind of different.”

Despite the team’s popularity, team members keep their full-time jobs so they can have fun on the weekend. Zeb is a machinist on third shift. Kim is a medical scribe. There are roofers, truck drivers and students, like Addison.

The J Creek Cloggers don’t have plans to quit anytime soon — there’s a documentary about the dance team in the works, and Kim has set her sights on doing something special for America’s 250th anniversary next year.

“My big goal is to eventually get back to the White House and recreate what Soco Gap did in 1939,” Kim says. “It’s been an amazing ride, and even if it ended today, we’d still be dancing.”