“Stay firm, but relaxed,” says Phillip Park, president of the Carolina Shag Club. “And don’t spill your beer.”
He’s kidding, but he’s not.
Carolina Shag is a dance of conflicting tensions—of basic steps and advanced moves, of shuffling feet and straight backs, subtle seduction and public performance. Beer is sometimes involved, but usually not on the dance floor.
Shagging Through the Decades
The dance we now know as the Carolina Shag grew out of African-American dances of the 1930s and emerged in the North and South Carolina beach scenes of the 1940s and ’50s. A lot happened in the world during those years—the Great Depression, World War II, and the post-War boom.
And through it all, people danced.
From the jazzy swing to the speedy Charleston, music-shaped dance and dancers-shaped music in a thrilling loop of movement, sound, and mutual admiration. Basic steps, moves, techniques, and turns—the new became familiar and flourishes gave birth to the new, as people played out dynamic social roles, tested norms, and expressed themselves on the dance floor.
Then one night, on a sandy dance floor in the Cherry Grove Beach neighborhood of North Myrtle Beach, a bluesy shuffle became the Carolina Shag. At hot spots like Fat Harold’s Beach Club and the Spanish Galleon Nightclub, a community of shaggers coalesced and expanded across the region and the world.
Basic Steps to the Carolina Shag Dance
Carolina Shag is a couple’s dance with a basic one-and-two, three-and-four, five-six pattern in a 4/4-time signature. The tempo ranges from medium to medium-fast. Moves flow smoothly.
“Most of the movement happens from the waist down,” says Park. There’s less bounce and more slide. Theoretically, you could hold a drink in one hand and your partner’s hand in the other without spilling beer on the floor. The wild legs contrast the “firm, but relaxed” upper body, giving the shag that distinctive glide.
“Shagging started out as a male showcase dance,” says Park. “A chance for him to do some real hot dog stuff.”
That has evolved somewhat with the times. Women are leading more and there is plenty of give and take, especially in social shag dancing. “If the man wants to look good,” Park says, “the lady needs to want him to look good.” In other words, shag partners have to communicate and work together.
Practice Makes Perfect
“You have to get on the floor and dance,” says Park. “Begin simple. Get the rhythm: one-and-two, three-and-four, five-six. Then put the music on.”
The music is often Carolina beach music, a broad genre rooted in R&B, soul, and early rock ‘n’ roll. Over the decades, beach music has grown from music that fits the mood (“More Than A Number” by The Drifters) to music designed to evoke the mood (“Summertime’s Calling Me” by The Catalinas).
The best way to learn (or re-learn) how to shag is to go to a club meeting and watch other people shagging. “When you see something you want to be able to do,” Park says, “give it a try. Or, better yet, go ask that couple over there how they did it. If they don’t know, work together and figure it out.”
Park, who teaches private lessons with his wife, Suzie, says, “You may think it’s hard at first, but once you break it down, it’s simple. Be patient. Don’t overdo it. Just be who you are out there.”
And remember to have fun. “It has nothing to do with equipment,” according to John Hook, author of Shagging in the Carolinas, “and everything to do with attitude and mood.”
There is more to our official state dance than mere nostalgia. For many, shagging connects them to old friends, familiar faces, and hometown fun. Amid the fellowship of club meetings, you’ll enjoy late nights, fast turns, and wildly inventive new steps.
“Suzie and I met through shag dancing,” says Park. “Shagging lets us communicate in a different way, but also in the way we always have. We love it. We love each other. So we keep on dancing.”
Try the Carolina Shag Dance
The Carolina Shag Club gathers every Wednesday at 7pm at SpareTime (822 Congaree Rd., Greenville), when the group also offers lessons. The four-week sessions begin the first Wednesday of each month, and partners are welcome but not necessary. Beginners start at 6pm, and preregistration is not required. Go to carolinashagclub.org for more information, or email TheCarolinaShagClub@gmail.com.
Mark your calendar for the Carolina Shag Club’s celebration on August 4 and 5 at Embassy Suites (670 Verdae Blvd., Greenville). The event will include beach music DJs, shagging workshops, and a cocktail party. For more information, contact Skip Watkins at skipwatkins@bellsouth.net.
Beach Music
Shag is the South Carolina state dance, so it makes sense that its partner, beach music, is the state’s official music. Named for its origins along the coast, beach music developed in the 1940s and grew in popularity through the ’60s. Closely associated with rhythm and blues, but with an upbeat, easygoing rhythm, beach music has led to the rise of local and regional bands that have had people dancing up and down the Carolina coast for decades.
Here are a few nostalgic beach music hits to look for on Spotify or other music services:
Ms. Grace, The Tymes
Hey, Hey Baby, Swingin’ Medallions (originally from Greenwood)
I’ve Been Hurt, The Tams
Summertime’s Calling Me, The Catalinas (don’t miss them Sept. 1 at the Peace Pavilion)
Give Me Just a Little More Time, Chairmen of the Board
Shaggin’, Band of Oz
Te-Ta-Te-Ta-Ta, Ernie K-Doe
