Southern Thunder Cloggers
We Feel the Beat with our Feet!!
Get To Know Us
Meet the Director and Assistants of Southern Thunder
Miranda Kristle Tori
Miranda Kristle Tori
We Feel The Beat With Our Feet!!!
Kristle Argo Banks = Owner and Director
Kristle has been clogging since the age of 5. She began her clogging career with the Southland Express Cloggers out of Warrenville, SC under the direction of Terry Anderson. She started clogging just to have a talent for pageants that she competed in. He Mom stated that she would never get too involved into clogging because she was already involved in so many different things. Little to her knowledge at the time would clogging not only become involved in her life as a child but part of a career for her in her adult years. At Kristle's very first solo competition she walked away with a 3rd place. It took many more competitions after that to get the hang of the solo competition but after she got the hang of it she was constantly placing in solo. She helped her team through out the years to win thousands of awards at the local, state, national, and international level.
At the age of 13, 1997, Kristle was named to the South Carolina Palmetto's Finest Clogging team which only 8 dancers a year are able to receive that honor. 1996 was the first year the team was ever formed so she was one of the first 16 cloggers in the state of South Carolina to receive such a high honor. That same year in October at that National Championships she was named to the All American Clogging Team, where only 20 dancers a year are able to receive this award. Due to this award she was able to travel to Knoxville, TN and perform on the nationally televised show Club Dance. In the year 2000 Kristle was named to the Millenium Clogging Team. This was to recognize the top 30 cloggers of the past 10 years in the world. In 2001 she used her talent to compete as part of the Midland Valley High School Junior Miss Program. At this program she won the overall talent award as well as became Midland Valley's Junior Miss which allowed to her compete at the state level. At the South Carolina Junior Miss Competition, Kristle was named to the top 8 and also won the overall talent award there for her clogging as well! In 2003, her clogging efforts landed her an awesome job. She was asked to travel to Nashville, TN to perform for the National Wild Turkey Convention. At this convention she shared the stage with Little Jimmy Dickens, Porter Wagoner, Tracy Byrd, Sawyer Brown, and was able to meet many other country performers. In 2004, she competed in her college pageant and won the talent award as well as the title of Miss Lander University. With her title she went on to compete for the title of Miss South Carolina. At the Miss South Carolina Pageant, Kristle was Top 15 and once again won the talent award.
In 2004, Kristle decided years of teaching in Greenwood while at college, that it was time to start up her own clogging team. So Southern Thunder Cloggers was formed. She started with 5 dancers in a building in the middle of nowhere. However, it did not take long for the team to take off. By 2005 her new team was attending competitions and winning many awards. By 2006 she was up to over 20 dancers and was loving every minute of it. Also in 2006 she married her high school sweetheart, Danny Banks. He had always stuck by her in all of her clogging endeavors. In 2007 it was time to upgrade studios and move into town. She moved into Aiken, SC on Dougherty Rd. This new location was a huge hit and helped her team to grow. In 2009 she was fortunate to land an awesome deal on another new studio which is where the team is currently located in Aiken, SC right in front of the Aiken Mall. Also in the year 2009, Kristle won the title of World Champion Traditional Soloist! Now the team has won hundreds of awards and has made quite a name for themselves. Kristle is the proud mother of two little boys, Colton Daniel Banks and Corbin Grady Banks and hopes to pass on her love of dance to her children. The team has over 60 cloggers now and she can't imagine ever leaving the clogging world!
Miranda Mauldin Assistant Director
Tori Reeves Beginners Director
Meet Our Teams
Senior Team
Junior Team
Elementary Team
Beginners
Kristle has been clogging since the age of 5. She began her clogging career with the Southland Express Cloggers out of Warrenville, SC under the direction of Terry Anderson. She started clogging just to have a talent for pageants that she competed in. He Mom stated that she would never get too involved into clogging because she was already involved in so many different things. Little to her knowledge at the time would clogging not only become involved in her life as a child but part of a career for her in her adult years. At Kristle's very first solo competition she walked away with a 3rd place. It took many more competitions after that to get the hang of the solo competition but after she got the hang of it she was constantly placing in solo. She helped her team through out the years to win thousands of awards at the local, state, national, and international level.
At the age of 13, 1997, Kristle was named to the South Carolina Palmetto's Finest Clogging team which only 8 dancers a year are able to receive that honor. 1996 was the first year the team was ever formed so she was one of the first 16 cloggers in the state of South Carolina to receive such a high honor. That same year in October at that National Championships she was named to the All American Clogging Team, where only 20 dancers a year are able to receive this award. Due to this award she was able to travel to Knoxville, TN and perform on the nationally televised show Club Dance. In the year 2000 Kristle was named to the Millenium Clogging Team. This was to recognize the top 30 cloggers of the past 10 years in the world. In 2001 she used her talent to compete as part of the Midland Valley High School Junior Miss Program. At this program she won the overall talent award as well as became Midland Valley's Junior Miss which allowed to her compete at the state level. At the South Carolina Junior Miss Competition, Kristle was named to the top 8 and also won the overall talent award there for her clogging as well! In 2003, her clogging efforts landed her an awesome job. She was asked to travel to Nashville, TN to perform for the National Wild Turkey Convention. At this convention she shared the stage with Little Jimmy Dickens, Porter Wagoner, Tracy Byrd, Sawyer Brown, and was able to meet many other country performers. In 2004, she competed in her college pageant and won the talent award as well as the title of Miss Lander University. With her title she went on to compete for the title of Miss South Carolina. At the Miss South Carolina Pageant, Kristle was Top 15 and once again won the talent award.
In 2004, Kristle decided years of teaching in Greenwood while at college, that it was time to start up her own clogging team. So Southern Thunder Cloggers was formed. She started with 5 dancers in a building in the middle of nowhere. However, it did not take long for the team to take off. By 2005 her new team was attending competitions and winning many awards. By 2006 she was up to over 20 dancers and was loving every minute of it. Also in 2006 she married her high school sweetheart, Danny Banks. He had always stuck by her in all of her clogging endeavors. In 2007 it was time to upgrade studios and move into town. She moved into Aiken, SC on Dougherty Rd. This new location was a huge hit and helped her team to grow. In 2009 she was fortunate to land an awesome deal on another new studio which is where the team is currently located in Aiken, SC right in front of the Aiken Mall. Also in the year 2009, Kristle won the title of World Champion Traditional Soloist! Now the team has won hundreds of awards and has made quite a name for themselves. Kristle is the proud mother of two little boys, Colton Daniel Banks and Corbin Grady Banks and hopes to pass on her love of dance to her children. The team has over 60 cloggers now and she can't imagine ever leaving the clogging world!
Miranda Mauldin Assistant Director
Tori Reeves Beginners Director
Meet Our Teams
Senior Team
Junior Team
Elementary Team
Beginners
