Hillary Klug, of Nashville, is among the most respected traditional fiddlers and dancers in Middle Tennessee. Originally from Fayetteville, Tennessee, she studied for more than a decade with award-winning fiddler Jim Wood. Her early training centered on the regional fiddle repertoire and techniques of Middle Tennessee, and she regularly accompanied Wood at the long-running weekly contra dance in the Flat Creek community of Bedford County. Because her musicianship developed in a social dance setting, Hillary cultivated exceptional timing, physical endurance, and a keen sense of musical phrasing shaped by the structure and flow of contra and square dances. Through Wood’s mentorship, she carries forward a distinguished Middle Tennessee fiddle lineage that includes Buddy Spicher, Hoot Hester, Pee Wee Buttrey, and Billy Brewer.
Since beginning her professional career, Hillary has performed in seventeen countries, competed extensively in regional and national fiddle contests, released two albums, and served as concertmaster of the Tennessee Fiddle Orchestra. She has also performed with Cirque du Soleil and held artist residencies at Dollywood and Silver Dollar City.
Although she is now recognized as much for her award-winning buck dancing as for her fiddling, Hillary remains deeply committed to preserving the specialized knowledge required to sustain the dance traditions that shaped her musical identity.
“Old-time fiddle music for community dance—especially contra dance playing—depends on a specific and increasingly rare skill set,” Hillary explains. “Beyond learning tunes, the fiddler must match phrasing, tune length, and repetition to the structure of the dance while maintaining a steady rhythm over extended periods. As fewer musicians regularly play for dances, these skills are at risk of being lost.”
Preserving this tradition,” she continues, “means passing on not just the tunes, but the context—how and why the music is played. Learning to play for community dances shaped my musical voice, strengthened my rhythm, and deepened my connection to the tradition. I also incorporate percussive dance into my performances, highlighting the enduring relationship between music and movement.”
Through this year’s Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program, Hillary is mentoring apprentice Francesca Rainwater, of Murfreesboro, in the art of contra and square dance fiddling.
“Francesca is an advanced young fiddler with a strong foundation in traditional repertoire,” Hillary says. “She has an excellent ear, reads music well, and is actively involved in the traditional music community through performances and festivals. A primary goal of this apprenticeship is to help her project, lead, and confidently carry a tune in both performance and dance settings.”
Francesca hopes to become a skilled dance fiddler capable of leading community dances with confidence.
“My main goal is to become a really solid dance fiddler—someone who can lead dances confidently,” she says. “I want to get better at choosing the right tunes and maintaining a strong groove that helps everyone dance. I want to work with Hillary because she is one of the best dance fiddlers around here. She really understands how to support the dancers and keep the energy up.”
During the apprenticeship, Francesca will learn primarily by ear while strengthening the rhythmic drive, bow control, phrasing, and accompaniment techniques essential to dance fiddling. She will expand her repertoire of regional tunes while developing cross-tuning techniques, tone production, tempo control, and the performance skills necessary for community dances and jam sessions.
“In our community, these dances are special because they’re not just performances,” Francesca explains. “They’re times when people of all ages get together, laugh, and enjoy themselves. I think it’s important to keep dance fiddling alive because although there are many fiddlers, there aren’t as many who know how to lead dances properly. Without good dance fiddlers, these traditions begin to lose the community spirit that has always defined them.”
