South Carolina Shag Dance

Myrtle Beach offers a lot of options for guests. While at the beach, you can partake in a number of activities including water sports, beach going, sun bathing, nightclubbing, and golf. There is one tradition around the beach that has been around as long as the people have been coming there, though. If you are not from South Carolina, there is a good chance you have never heard of it. The South Carolina Shag is a dance that the people here know by heart. We dance not because we have to or because it is something that is taught, we dance the shag because it just flows with the beat of the great beach music. If you are interested in really experiencing Myrtle Beach at its finest, learn how to do the Shag.

The South Carolina Shag is a pretty simple dance. It is an eight beat rhythm, with the guy doing the leading. He takes a lady by the hand, usually the left, and leads her through the steps. Generally, the leading man will execute a series of moves that the lady will be expected to follow. In most situations, this is how it will work out. Some advanced shaggers are able to coordinate their moves with their partner and call out the moves verbally. This is mostly seen in competitions, though. On the social dance floor, the idea is to have a great time and be easy and care free.

The South Carolina Shag is a staple of the culture down here. It began in the 1950s when beach bands such as The Drifters and The Tams would play beach music. The people of South Carolina created the dance as a spin off of the swing dance and jitterbug. They wanted something that they could dance to and call their own. With the shag, the culture of South Carolina is displayed perfectly.

When you come to Myrtle Beach, you can easily take classes that will teach you how to shag. It is a part of the cultural landscape around this area to learn to the dance. You may take it other places and they will call it something different, but on the beach, we learned to shag with the salt in the air and the sand at our toes. Golf and sunbathing may be fun, but learning the South Carolina shag is a surefire way to impress those around you.