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 Charlie Womble Jackie McGee |
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Shag It's Swing Dancing - Southern Style! Carolina Shag, the state dance of South Carolina, is a 6 and 8-count Swing dance consisting of a 6-count basic with 2 Triples and a Double executed in a forward-and-backward direction (similar to an accordion), and an 8-count pivot with a Triple, Double, Triple, Double executed in a circular motion. The Carolina Shag was originally more of a circular dance but has now become primarily a slotted dance. Its unique style places emphasis on intricate footwork with an active lower body and passive upper body. The objective is to appear to "glide" or "float" over the floor effortlessly. The Carolina Shag - previously known as "Shag", and in the beginning as “Fast Dancing”, originated on the beaches of the Carolinas during the 1940s. Young people from all over the Carolinas gathered at the wooden-floored oceanfront pavilions to dance to sounds from jukeboxes. First there was Big Band music, then - what became the heart of the Shag - Rhythm and Blues. Dancers created a smoother version of the Jitterbug and called themselves “jitterbugs”. The term "Shag" did not appear until sometime during the 1950s. The dance evolved and was refined through the 1950s and early 1960s, almost disappeared during the Beatles era, then reappeared during the mid-1970s with the beginning of Shag competitions. It has continued to grow in popularity over the last 25 years. The Carolina Shag has now grown from a regional dance found only in the Carolinas to over 100 Shag clubs from Florida to Maine and west to the Mississippi. It is recognized across the country as a distinct form of Swing and remains a dance and lifestyle cherished and loved by thousands.
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