In the last eighty years, shagging has become pretty popular in South Carolina. Developed in the Afro-American coastal community around Myrtle Beach, shagging clubs have spread across the state and to other states too. Above you can see that there is even a shagging club in Florence SC, home of the legendary parrot Marco Barlow.
The basic step for this upbeat, quick and smooth dance is a six-count, eight-step pattern danced in a slot. The Shag, specifically the Carolina Shag, has been erroneously called the "swing dance of the South" but occupies a class of its own. It was once described as a "cold beer on a warm night with a hot date and no plans for tomorrow."
Below we see two skilled exponents of the dance shagging expertly back in 2008. It's quite mesmerising...
Lifeguards, waitresses and other young adults are the ones who are credited with popularising The Shag in Myrtle Beach. Dino Thompson, author of "Boogie Woogie Beats" and one of South Carolina's original shaggers, explained the dance's origins: "We started dancing like we talked to girls at the beach - laid back, slow and easy."
One thing that makes The Shag such a popular dance is that anyone with two legs can do it - whether you're six years old or 66 years old. It breaks barriers and brings everyone together with one common purpose: to have fun and enjoy the music. Dino further explained that it was the music that changed everything for the young dancers back in the day. "The sheer power and emotional appeal of the music brought the races together. Black and white, rich and poor, they jumped the rope and came down from the balconies to share the music and memories." All that mattered was the dance floor and this school of thought still rings true for shaggers today.
When it comes to the best shagging spots in North Myrtle Beach, "The Spanish Galleon" night club and "Fat Harold's Beach Club" are two noteworthy venues. And if you stop by, you're almost guaranteed to see a few experienced shaggers doing their thing on the dance floor. They won't mind you watching or even snapping a few pictures.
I am surprised that shagging isn't part of the regular repertoire of the BBC dance show "Strictly Come Dancing". Including it would surely boost the popularity of shagging in Great Britain and additionally I would probably lose my aversion to the show.
(Acknowledgement of source material: "Discover South Carolina" website)
People from my parents' and grandparents' generations were really in to Beach Music and Shagging. My mom and dad liked listening to a Beach Music radio station on Saturday nights when I was growing up. In fact, I remember my mom teaching me Shagging dance steps in our living room when I was a small girl.
ReplyDeleteI haven't thought of that in decades! Thanks for the memory prompt!
Many people have happy memories of shagging.
DeleteSince you raised the subject of unspeakable aversions, what has
ReplyDeletehappened to McClelland's Black Shag Virginia Tobacco ?
It smelled like Hangman's Close in Edinburgh on a March night.
My English teacher Jimmy McGrath smoked it ; so did Stan Barstow.
Older readers may remember that Sherlock Holmes kept his supply of
McClelland's in the toe of a Persian slipper, nailed to the mantelpiece.
Holmes's rival, Sexton Blake, smoked Havana cigars which a Cuban girl
rolled on her perspiring thighs.
Now, let's get back to Come Dancing.
Why did so many gay blokes want to dance with lovely young women ?
If I was a pipe smoker, I might be able to think it through.
A shag is also a bird - it looks like a small cormorant. Do shags shag?
DeleteI can say that I have lived in SC for about sixteen years now and I have never shagged ... at least not the dancing version of shag!
ReplyDeleteThere are three or four shagging clubs in Camden Try http://www.shagginwithclass.com/class-history/
DeleteI was quite impressed with the male partner's moves while the woman appeared to barely move at all until close to the end, maybe she should add another couple of those into the mix for interest.
ReplyDeletePerhaps she had a headache.
DeleteI truly am laughing out loud at your reply to River.
DeleteThe lady of that dancing couple is quite the looker even when she's not moving. But the man - I wouldn't look at him twice, he's so nondescript - but dear Lord, when he moves his feet, everything changes!
ReplyDeleteHaving learned ballroom standard and Latin dances from someone who danced tournaments, I know a good dancer when I see one - and more often than not, the male part of a couple is "lazy" and conserves his energy, focused on leading, while it is the lady who does most of the work. In this case, the roles seem to be partly reversed, also because the man does most of the spinning.
In one word : Wow!
I created this blogpost as a joke but the dancing of that couple is impressive.
DeleteDon't worry (I know you weren't), I got the joke but decided not to comment along that line.
DeleteBy the way, Steve always rolled his own fags and bought pouches of shag every week.
I was a little apprehensive about watching the shagging clip but it was cool.
ReplyDeleteYes, some local shagging would be good to see on tv.
I did wonder about Australia's Perth popular quayside bar The Lucky Shag when I saw it. I wonder if they shag at The Lucky Shag. I think it is popular with backpackers, from the UK, Ireland and the Continent, with not many Americans, so they probably don't know about shagging.
There are 332 million Americans so they must know a little about shagging.
DeleteYou'll end up in trouble if you mention shagging in front of Americans 😊
DeleteYou mean like an audience?
DeleteI doubt the BBC will show shagging on Strictly.
ReplyDeletePerhaps they could show it on "The Antiques Roadshow".
DeleteThey could call your programme Match Of The Day.
ReplyDeleteThere could be expert analysis from the pundits.
DeleteSo that's why Victor Sylvester wore baggy pants.
ReplyDeleteIt is also the reason that Victor Silvester wore baggy pants.
DeleteOh how the headline could get twisted in translation.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea what you might be implying.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuzkJV5W9I4
ReplyDeleteExcellent shagging music.
DeleteI have never heard of shagging in the form of dance before this post. In our region at least, shagging doesn't have anything to do about dancing on a floor. It is something you do in bed.
ReplyDeleteIt must be sleep then, or perhaps playing with your device before putting it on to charge.
DeleteNever heard of it, Neil. "Shagging" meant something entirely different in my youth! (blushing, and feeling old)!
ReplyDeleteDid it mean weaving shagpile carpets?
DeleteI'll admit dancing was not what I expected when I clicked on this post.
ReplyDeleteThis is a respectable, clean living kind of blog Kelly.
Delete