Rising Stars: Meet Zeb Ross

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zeb Ross.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started? 
My mom said from the time I was “in her belly, I was dancing!” I grew up being homeschooled, and my mom, as part of our curriculum, educated my brother and I on the history of flat-footing and buck dancing, as well as the music associated with that style of dance. We spent many a day dancing in Hiltons, VA, at the famous Carter Fold, as well as the Stompin Ground here in Maggie Valley, NC, and other festivals throughout TN/NC/VA. As time went on, my mom, Kim Ross, formed the J Creek Cloggers in 2009 with maybe 8 dancers, which I was a part of. 

Fast forward to March 2022, when a gentleman from Georgia, Jason Jordan, was in attendance at Darnell Farms in Bryson City, NC, filming our show. He then proceeded to put a reel on TIKTOK to the song “Here Comes the Hotstepper,” which went viral, and then a gentleman who goes by Eggstyrone on Instagram added his version of “I’m a Thug” by Trick Daddy, which blew up on that social medial platform. Poor mom, she received a phone call in the middle of the night, and they said, “Do you know your son and dance went viral?” Mom responded, “who is sick now.” She had no clue what the word “viral” was, and we did not have TIKTOK or Instagram social media platforms at that time. Currently, we have upwards of 23 dancers and are carrying on freestyle traditional dance, involving audience participation, as well as educating those in attendance. 

To date, we have traveled as far as California, down to Texas, and all the way up to Rhode Island, with many states in between! I also was invited to be on the Country Music Awards dancing to Rocky Top, and met Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, as well as many other stars. The dance team has also been in many music videos! 

A fun fact: my mom had never flown on a plane, so our first event was in Daytona Beach, FL when Brian Kelley invited my mom and myself to dance on stage for his song “Beach Cowboy” mom did very well and did not panic! Many of our dancers from the team had never flown, so almost everyone now has had that opportunity. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My mom and myself were very overwhelmed to start with, as we did not have TikTok, Instagram, and just had no idea how big this really was. Mom has always been the first point of contact for the dance team, so she was doing all the bookings, social media, interviews, etc., while still working. I was and am still working a full-time job also. Along the way, we have met some wonderful people who have been guiding us through this exhilarating moment in our lives. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I currently work for Dodge Industrial as a machinist and have done so for 10 years. I am very work-oriented and love what I do, as well as love contributing to society. My other hobbies include geocaching, dancing, and hiking, as well as playing the guitar. 

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
People who would love to work with myself or our dance team, J Creek Cloggers, can reach out to my mom, Kim Ross, at 828-734-0873, email: [email protected], send us a message through our website jcreekcloggers.com. We also have merchandise at https://zeb-ross.myshopify.com/ 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jcreekcloggers.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jcreekcloggers/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063452415685
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCit6L161iUahyIl0vilw1TA
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@jcreekcloggers