Carolina Shag Dance

Does anyone out here like to shag?

"Yeah, baby!"










sorry, couldn't resist

Wrong Shag.
Check out youtube sc shag. It's a cool dance.
The Shag, one of the great developments of terpsichorean culture and native to South Carolina, is performed to music known as rhythm and blues. Both the music and dance are structured on time signature and can be performed to almost any tempo, as long as the basic step is maintained and kept in time to the music.

The shag basic is one of the most comfortable partnering basic steps in swing dance. The connection is relaxed, but steady: no subtle leverage and compression as in West Coast Swing. Compared to the East Coast Swing basic, it doesn't bounce: it glides. A lot of repetition doesn't tire out the beginner, as it does for those who regard the "Swing-Out" as Lindy Hop's basic. The shag basic is smooth, and really feels great with the right music.

The dance has a variety of styles, depending on who is dancing, or on who describes it to you! For some, the dance is playful, with a lot of partner interaction, and both partners taking opportunities to "shine". For others, it is "mirror moves" galore. For yet others, the leader "peacocks" a variety of complex improvisations, while the follower performs subtle (or no) footwork variations. It depends on the skill level and mentality of each partner, as well as on regionality and decade. At the forefront of mutual partnering in shag are national shag champions many times over, Jackie McGee and Charlie Womble.

Wrong Shag.
Check out youtube sc shag. It's a cool dance.
The Shag, one of the great developments of terpsichorean culture and native to South Carolina, is performed to music known as rhythm and blues. Both the music and dance are structured on time signature and can be performed to almost any tempo, as long as the basic step is maintained and kept in time to the music.

The shag basic is one of the most comfortable partnering basic steps in swing dance. The connection is relaxed, but steady: no subtle leverage and compression as in West Coast Swing. Compared to the East Coast Swing basic, it doesn't bounce: it glides. A lot of repetition doesn't tire out the beginner, as it does for those who regard the "Swing-Out" as Lindy Hop's basic. The shag basic is smooth, and really feels great with the right music.

The dance has a variety of styles, depending on who is dancing, or on who describes it to you! For some, the dance is playful, with a lot of partner interaction, and both partners taking opportunities to "shine". For others, it is "mirror moves" galore. For yet others, the leader "peacocks" a variety of complex improvisations, while the follower performs subtle (or no) footwork variations. It depends on the skill level and mentality of each partner, as well as on regionality and decade. At the forefront of mutual partnering in shag are national shag champions many times over, Jackie McGee and Charlie Womble.

Steve,

When I lived in The Tidewater of VA everyone "shagged"...<sigh>...except me. I am one of those unfortunate men who can only muster up the courage to "dance" when T-totally shi....errr I mean inebriated...and it ain't a pretty sight. Heyyyyyyy I know...You should have an after hours offline "Shag night" at the Sailor (Yeah, that's the ticket)...Who's in (me-me-me) <G>

I am one of those unfortunate men who can only muster up the courage to "dance" when T-totally shi....errr I mean inebriated...and it ain't a pretty sight. Heyyyyyyy I know...You should have an after hours offline "Shag night" at the Sailor (Yeah, that's the ticket)...Who's in (me-me-me) <G>

I have the same affliction. Ive only been been told about it the next day. Luckily nobody has ever caught me on video yet.

I think the courage is to stay off the dance floor guys! I know better than to scare the children and women folk in a 6 county region and abstain.

It's the same reason I don't run for exercise; people get paniced when they see me run. "What in the world is chasing that fella? Must be something horrible! Guess we better run for it, too!" Then the screaming starts and the crying, babies wailing, sirens in the distance, cars smash into each other, old people are trampled, hastily scribbled REPENT placards are produced. Sheesh, who needs that on their karma wheel!

Maybe this will help: http://www.lindylou.org/. I took Charleston and Triple Lindy lessons with some of the members. Fun (and cheap) classes!

I am one of those unfortunate men who can only muster up the courage to "dance" when T-totally shi....errr I mean inebriated...and it ain't a pretty sight.

I'm sort of like that, except that getting me on the dance floor involves a decent but not debilitating amount of alcohol and David Bowie. Whenever Bowie is playing I start singing as well, which is equally unfortunate for bystanders.

Being from Myrtle Beach, I've been around Shagging clubs all my life. I am turning the other side of my restaurant into a Carolina Shagging Club. We will have a tiki bar and starting at 7:30 we will be playing beach music for people to shag to. On Thursday nights from 6:30 till 7:30, we will offer shagging lessons. At 7:30 till we close we will play beach music for those that want to stay and practice what they've learned or people can just come and dance. I hope to get this started by the middle of April. It should be a lot of fun. For people that know how to shag and love it, it's hard to find a place to go dance where they play a lot of beach music. Most of the time you have to wait until they play a good song to shag to. Our place will be for shaggers and beach music is what we'll play so you can come and shag your tail off. I can't wait to get it going.

I was there last night for the lessons - can't wait till next week!

It's a fun dance, and I want to learn it so me & hubby can spend some
summer nights at the Son of a Sailor Beach Club doin' the shag