Naylor, Gwen

Clog dancer from Halifax, Yorkshire, nee Gwendoline Alice Bostock.

Introduced to the IRT by Liz Yates of Yorkshire Rose Clog.  Gwen had been to one of their practice evenings prior to her interview with the IRT.

Great-granddaughter  of  clog dancer George Rhodes, and granddaughter of former Yorkshire Professional Clog Champion Leo Rhodes who perhaps learned from his father.  She learned from Leo and his brother Percy Rhodes.  Although she learned their clog dance material she always danced in tap shoes.  She was particularly insistent that shuffles should be neat and crisp.   Although she knew some material in waltz time her favourite steps were in schottische rhythm, her favourite tunes being Nola and Little Dolly Daydream.

Her steps remain un-notated and unpublished.

Information derived from an interview on 22/3/1986 and a photostat of her MS notes on dancing derived from Percy Rhodes in 1956.

A number of films of Gwen dancing her schottische steps are available:

  1. Filmed at a Yorkshire Rose Clog practice  about 1985.
  2. Filmed at her home during the course of her first meeting with the IRT on 22/3/1986
  3. Filmed at the Newcastle  Weekend of Dance, Sheffield, 14/11/1987
  4. Filmed at the Newcastle Weekend of Dance, Sheffield, 14/11/1987.  A different angle.
  5. Filmed at the Newcastle Weekend of Dance, Gateshead, 13/10/1990.