Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan Leverett
Hi Morgan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started Unity Cloggers back in the latter part of 2020. At the time I was living in North Carolina and started with a small group of dancers located in different states including Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and even Illinois. We started practicing in Spartanburg as a midway point for all of us in a practically empty studio space. It was hard getting started. I often had maybe 2 people who could make it to practice nearly every practice, but we prevailed and pushed through our first competition season together. I had people come and go throughout the season for different reason, such as distance and various responsibilities, and I also had new people coming in as well. We hit the stage at our first National competition in 2021 and ended up taking home our first National Title. Since then we have won 5 National Titles from 2 different clogging organizations: the National Clogging and Hoedown Championships and United Clogging Association. The team has earned several special honors including special performances in Italy, London, the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN, The Carolina Opry in Myrtle Beach, The Military Bowl in Annapolis,MD, New York City and more. This vision of mine has become more than I could have ever asked for.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road. I jumped into starting the team pretty spontaneously, and I honestly didn’t know exactly what I was getting myself into. Overall, it has been rewarding in ways that went far beyond what I ever expected. My goal is to build my own dance studio, but for now, we have bounced around to different buildings without mirrors, balancing schedules with the businesses we have worked with and only being able to meet for 2 days a month for 6 hours each. This year, we have expanded from one young adult team to three teams, adding an adult and elementary team. While this is great, we have encountered the issue of not having enough time or space for each team to meet. This year has honestly been the year we have struggled the most, but I believe that the best things in life aren’t easy, and you have to work through the struggle to learn and grow,
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My name is Morgan Leverett, and I have been a dancer for 24 years. I specialize in the art of clogging, which is an American folk dance originating in the Appalachian Mountains. I am a 17-time National Champion, and I have performed at International Folk Festivals in Poland, the Czech Republic, Colombia, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Italy. I am most known for my experience in competition clogging world with my work with Unity being my most notable work. I am proud of how far my team has come in 4 years, especially under the circumstances we have been dealt. Unity has become a fast rising team and has won 5 team national titles, a variety of solo and duo awards, and special recognition awards. Over Labor Day weekend, our team won our 5th national title as your 2024 USA Overall Traditional Precision Team National Champions. I was also honored to receive the 2024 Betsy Farlow Memorial Award for my dedication to preserving and sharing the art of traditional clogging. Next December/January, my team is headed to London with America’s Clogging All Stars to perform in the 2026 London New Year’s Day Parade. One of my biggest career goals is to take my own team overseas to create their own memories and have the experiences I have been blessed with. I am continuously overwhelmed by the opportunities and recognition this team has earned, and I am forever grateful for the people who have come in to my life to make this team and my dream possible. I truly have the best inner circle/family that a girl could ask for.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Don’t let fear and anxiety stand in the way of you following your dream. There will never be a “right time” to get started. It won’t be easy, but trust in yourself and God and work hard. You aren’t going to know what you’re doing 100% when you’re starting out, so fake it till you make it and continue to believe in yourself. There will be hard times, and things won’t always be easy, but it makes it all worthwhile when you know your hard work is paying off.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unityclogging/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unityclog
Image Credits
Teá Arney Photography
