Kate Guzy has been clogging since she was 16 years old. She quickly found that clogging was her passion and wanted to share it with others, so she became a Certified Instructor through the Florida Clogging Council’s Certification Process. She has participated in seven clogging groups: two from Florida, one from New York and most recently four in North Carolina. She instructs and competes in workshops and competitions across the Southeast. She is a member of the American Clogging Hall of Fame (ACHF) and the National Clogging Organization, Inc. (C.L.O.G.) Kate is also an active participant in the North Carolina Clogging Association and is the Founder of the UNC-Asheville Bulldog Stompers (est. 1998).
Nationally certified In 2002, Kate began the process of a National Teaching Certification program through C.L.O.G., The National Clogging Organization, Inc. Through them, she has received her Clogging Education Certificate and has tested out and received her National Certified Clogging Instructor (CCI) designation in November 2005. She is also a Nationally Certified Clogging Judge and travels on weekends to various competitions across the Southeast.
In January of 2003, she began teaching classes at the Oakley Rec. Center and that’s how the Mountain Thunder Cloggers were born. Under Kate’s leadership, they have grown from only two students to around 40 students today. Kate believes that learning is most effective in a fun atmosphere with a lot of positive reinforcement. Fundamental steps become natural through repetition in different routines. Music selection is a key element to enjoying class and is chosen based upon what the people in her classes enjoy. Kate’s teaching style is a proven success and the Mountain Thunder Cloggers are now one of Western North Carolina’s premier entertainment groups in the area.
Kate was born in Rochester, New York, but moved to North Palm Beach, Florida at 10 years of age. She decided to remain in Asheville, North Carolina after completing college at UNC-Asheville in May 2002. She works for CarePartners/Mission Health/HCA in the facility ITG Department as a Computer Programmer. Kate and her husband, Andy, have two children.