Inventory of the Phil Jamison Collection, 1992-1993

Collection Number 20389

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Southern Folklife Collection, University Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Collection Information
block Descriptive Summary
block Administrative Information
block Online Catalog Headings
block Biographical Note
block Collection Overview
plus Detailed Description of the Collection
block Items Separated
block Related Collections
Contact Information:
Manuscripts Department
CB#3926, Wilson Library
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27514-8890
Phone: 919/962-1345
Fax: 919/962-3594
Email: mss@email.unc.edu
URL: http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/
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Descriptive Summary

Repository
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Folklife Collection.
Creator
Jamison, Phil.
Title
Phil Jamison Collection, 1992-1993 (bulk 1993)
Call Number
20389
Language of Materials
Materials in English
Extent
Items: 20
Abstract
From late 1992 through 1993, Phil Jamison, coordinator of the Appalachian Music Program, Assistant Director of the Swannanoa Gathering, and teacher of music and mathematics at Warren Wilson College, documented the flatfoot, buckdance, and Charleston dancing styles of western North Carolina.
The collection consists of videotapes, audio cassettes, and printed materials documenting the research musician, dance caller, and flatfoot dancer Phil Jamison conducted for the North Carolina Arts Council Folklife Program documentary project Western North Carolina - Buckdancers, Flatfoot Dancers and Charleston Dancers, 1992-1993. The project documented the lives and dancing of buckdancers, flatfoot dancers, and Charleston dancers from several counties in western North Carolina, including Buncombe County, Henderson County, Swain County, Yancey County, Clay County, Jackson County, Burke County, Haywood County, Watauga County, and Madison County. Jamison collected the materials during 1992 and 1993; the project was completed in 1993. The videotapes consist of shots of dancers demonstrating dances to live music, descriptions of steps, and interviews with the dancers. Dances documented include the Hambone, the Turkey Trot, the Two-Step, the Charleston, and the Chicken. The video log documents the dancer's name, the dance style, the accompanying music, and the date of the performance recorded. The audio tapes consist of oral history interviews with twelve dancers. Of particular interest are the performances of L. C. King and John Reeves, who were featured in Mike Seeger's 1987 documentary film Talking Feet.

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Administrative Information

Restrictions to Access
This collection has restrictions to access. Please see details below or contact the Manuscripts Department for more information.
Usage Restrictions
Use of audiotapes or videotapes may require production of listening or viewing copies.
Acquisitions Information
Received from Phil Jamsion, March 2004.
Processing Information
Processed by: Alison Waldenberg, July 2006
Encoded by: Alison Waldenberg, July 2006
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], in the Phil Jamison Collection #20389, Southern Folklife Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Copyright Notice
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
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Online Catalog Headings

These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.

Buncombe County (N.C.)--Social life and customs.
Burke County (N.C.)--Social life and customs.
Clay County (N.C.)--Social life and customs.
Dance--Appalachian Region, Southern.
Dancers--Appalachian Region, Southern.
Dancers--Appalachian Region, Southern--Interviews.
Dance--North Carolina.
Dancers--North Carolina.
Dancers--North Carolina--Interviews.
Folk dancing--Appalachian Region, Southern.
Folk dancing--North Carolina.
Haywood County (N.C.)--Social life and customs.
Henderson County (N.C.)--Social life and customs.
Jackson County (N.C.)--Social life and customs.
Jamison, Phil.
Madison County (N.C.)--Social life and customs.
North Carolina--Social life and customs.
Oral history.
Swain County (N.C.)--Social life and customs.
Watauga County (N.C.)--Social life and customs.
Yancey County (N.C.)--Social life and customs.
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Related Collections

Mike Seeger Collection (#20009), Southern Folklife Collection
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Biographical Note

Musician, dance caller, and flatfoot dancer Phil Jamison (b. 1953) has been the coordinator of Warren Wilson College's Appalachian Music Program and the Assistant Director of the annual Swannanoa Gathering. He also served as contributing editor and writer for the traditional music and dance publication The Old-Time Herald.

Jamison began documenting the flatfoot, buckdance, and Charleston dance styles in 1992 with a grant from the North Carolina Arts Council Folklife Program. These methods of dance are variations on the traditional dance style which is widely known as "clogging" or "stepdancing." Though clogging in the Appalachian region developed out of the 18th century dances of Scottish and Irish settlers, the distinct styles documented in these materials evolved under other influences. Buckdancing has its roots in African dance; flatfoot and Charleston styles are thought to have developed out of African American folk dancing. There is very little documentation on the origins of these dances.

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Collection Overview

The collection consists of videotapes, audio cassettes, and printed materials documenting the research musician, dance caller, and flatfoot dancer Phil Jamison conducted for the North Carolina Arts Council Folklife Program documentary project Western North Carolina - Buckdancers, Flatfoot Dancers and Charleston Dancers, 1992-1993. The project documented the lives and dancing of buckdancers, flatfoot dancers, and Charleston dancers from several counties in western North Carolina, including Buncombe County, N.C., Henderson County, N.C., Swain County, N.C., Yancey County, N.C., Clay County, N.C., Jackson County, N.C., Burke County, N.C., Haywood County, N.C., Watauga County, N.C., and Madison County, N.C. Jamison collected the materials during 1992 and 1993; the project was completed in 1993.

The videotapes consist of shots of dancers demonstrating dances to live music, descriptions of steps, and interviews with the dancers. Dances documented include the Hambone, the Turkey Trot, the Two-Step, the Charleston, and the Chicken. The video log documents the dancer's name, the dance style, the accompanying music, and the date of the performance recorded. The audio tapes consist of oral history interviews with twelve dancers. Of particular interest are the performances of L. C. King and John Reeves, who were featured in Mike Seeger's 1987 documentary film Talking Feet.

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Arrangement of Collection

1. Video Recordings and Related Materials, 1993
1.1. HI-8 Recordings
1.2. VHS Recordings
1.3. Videotape Log
2. Sound Recordings, 1992-1993
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Items Separated

Videotape Log (Folder 1)
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Detailed Description of the Collection

1. Video Recordings and Related Material, 1993.

13 items.
Arrangement: by format.
Video recordings and supporting documentation related to the creation of Phil Jamison's Western North Carolina - Buckdancers, Flatfoot Dancers and Charleston Dancers. The videotapes identified in the video log as numbers 1 through 10 correspond to items number VT-20389/1 through VT-20389/10. The videotape identified as number 14 in the log lists the contents of VT-20389/11.
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1.1. HI-8 Recordings.
10 items.
Videotape VT-20389/1
Ruth Mosteller, Main Camera, 20 February 1993.
Videotape VT-20389/2
Ruth Mosteller, Foot Camera, 20 February 1993.
Videotape VT-20389/3
Berta Frady, Main Camera, 2 April 1993.
Videotape VT-20389/4
Berta Frady, Foot Camera, 2 April 1993.
Videotape VT-20389/5
Biss Honeycutt, Main Camera, 3 April 1993.
Videotape VT-20389/6
Biss Honeycutt, Foot Camera, 3 April 1993.
Videotape VT-20389/7
NCAC: Dance Steps, Main Camera, 22 April 1993-26 April 1993.
Includes dance demonstrations by Emma Lou Wambles, Pauline Zimmerman, Steve Rice, Rodney Sutton, Phil Jamison, Pat Maney, Betty Garland, Ruth Mosteller, Buck Buchanan, James Greer, Wayne Phillips, and Gene Moore. Music performed by John Herrman, Jerry Adams, Hilary Dirlam, Gar Mosteller, Phil Jamison, Gary Johnson, and Jim Ledford.
Videotape VT-20389/8
NCAC: Dance Steps, Foot Camera, 22 April 1993-26 April 1993.
Includes dance demonstrations by Emma Lou Wambles, Pauline Zimmerman, Steve Rice, Rodney Sutton, Phil Jamison, Pat Maney, Betty Garland, Ruth Mosteller, Buck Buchanan, James Greer, and Wayne Phillips. Music performed by John Herrman, Jerry Adams, Hilary Dirlam, Gar Mosteller, Phil Jamison, Gary Johnson, and Jim Ledford.
Videotape VT-20389/9
Maggie Valley, N.C., Dancers, 7 May 1993.
Includes dance demonstrations by Rodney Sutton, Phil Jamison, John Reeves, Robert "Chief" Howell, Troy Cutshaw, Alaska Pressley, Catherine McCrary, Pearl Owen, J. Claude Caldwell, Marlene Blalock, Hattie Caldwell Davis, Gene Ferguson, Dallas Mathis, Wilma Setzer, Richard Queen, and Soco Gap Dancers. Music performed by Liz Shaw, Trevor Stuart, Travis Stuart, and Lynn Shaw.
Videotape VT-20389/10
Valle Crucis, N.C., Dancers, 10 May 1993.
Includes dance demonstrations by Rodney Sutton, Robert Dotson, Ora Watson, Myrtle Dotson, and Phil Jamison. Music performed by Cecil Gurganus, Mary Greene, and Phil Jamison.
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1.2. VHS Recordings.
2 items.
Videotape VT-20389/11
NCAC Dancers, Foot camera, 10 May 1993-12 June 1993.
Includes dance demonstrations by Mary Jane Queen, Rodney Sutton, Robert Dotson, Myrtle Dotson, Phil Jamison, Buck Finney, Sarah Jamison, Ruth King, Clementine DeVigne, Hattie Tribble, Juanita Jones, Viola Edgerton, Joan Kope, Lucille Smith, Ruth King, Harold Tribble, L. C. King, and Earl McElreath. Music performed by Cecil Gurganus, Mary Greene, Phil Jamison, Robert Morgan, George Buckner, and Lawrence Dillingham.
Videotape VT-20389/12
Western North Carolina - Buckdancers, Flatfoot dancers and Charleston dancers, 1993.
Includes dance performances by Robert Dotson, L. C. King, Earl McElreath, Hattie Tribble, Buck Buchanan, Wayne Phillips, Buck Finney, Robert "Chief" Howell, John Reeves, Berta Frady, Ruth Mosteller, Pauline Zimmerman, Jim Cooper, Camdler Cooper, Pat Maney, Myrtle Dotson, Ora Watson, and Biss Honeycutt.
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1.3. Video Log.
1 item.
Folder 1
NCAC Folklife Documentation Project: Video Log

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2. Sound recordings, 1992-1993.

7 items.
This series contains oral history interviews with dancers; the interviews were conducted by Phil Jamison for his project Western North Carolina - Buckdancers, Flatfoot Dancers and Charleston Dancers.
Audiocassette FS-7644
Side One: Berta Frady (b. 1908). Henderson County, N.C. 1 December 1992.
Side Two: Pat Maney (b. 1928). Swain County, N.C. 8 February 1993.
Audiocassette FS-7645
Side One: Biss Honeycutt (b. 1909). Yancey County, N.C. 2 February 1993.
Side Two: Wayne Phillips (b. 1915). Clay County, N.C. 26 April 1993.
Audiocassette FS-7646
Side One: Ruth Mosteller (b. 1932). Jackson County, N.C. 15 February 1993.
Side Two: Betty Garland (b. 1933). Jackson County, N.C. 17 February 1993.
Audiocassette FS-7647
Side One: Buck Buchanan (b. 1927). Burke County, N.C. 1 April 1993.
Side Two: Robert "Chief" Howell (b. 1912). Haywood County, N.C. 5 April 1993.
Audiocassette FS-7648
Side One: Ora Watson (b. 1911). Watauga County, N.C. 15 April 1993.
Side Two: Robert Dotson (b. 1923). Watauga County, N.C. 15 April 1993.
Audiocassette FS-7649
Side One: Buck Finney (b. 1924). Haywood County, N.C. 18 April 1993.
Side Two: John Reeves (b. 1918). Haywood County, N.C. 21 April 1993.
Audiocassette FS-7650
Side One: Albert Burnette (b. 1912). Haywood County, N.C. 13 May 1993.
Side Two: Pauline Zimmerman (b. 1919). Madison County, N.C. 11 February 1993.

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