Shagging on the Shore
Dance the Night Away On The Crystal Coast
Does The Foundations, “Build Me Up Buttercup” hit make you want to tap your feet? Or the Chairmen of the Board’s “Give Me Just A Little More Time” make you want to grab a partner and dance? Then shagging might just be the dance for you.
Popular with students in the South, shag began in the 1920s and evolved through the 1930s and 1940s. Beach parties and social gatherings hosted collegiate students and the “one-and-two, three-and-four, five-six” step technique was danced through the night.
Rather than starting with a melody and adding movements to music, shag started with movements and was later put to the tunes of easygoing rhythm and blues hits. But that’s not to say shag can’t be done to Elvis or Marvin Gaye. As long as you have a partner, this slow jitterbug can be paired with many different types of music.
With a state dance like the Carolina Shag, it’s no surprise that shagging is such a popular pastime with the dancers of North Carolina. Whether you’re an amateur eager to learn or a pro at laying down the steps, the Crystal Coast has plenty of opportunities to get into the swing of things.
The Atlantic Beach Shag Club of Atlantic Beach, NC, founded in 1990, is a place for novices and professionals alike. This non-profit dance and social club has over 200 active members and contributes to local charities and community events each year. The club is a member of the Association of Carolina Shag Clubs, which includes over 100 local clubs on the East Coast. Recently, the Atlantic Beach Shag Club petitioned to make shag the official dance of Carteret County and it was successfully passed.
A favorite place for the members of the Atlantic Beach Shag Club to show off their skills is at Memories Beach Club, also in Atlantic Beach, NC. Open Wednesday through Saturday, Memories beckons the dancers of the Crystal Coast with its Beach Music, hardwood dance floor and state of the art sound system.
Whether you know it as the Carolina Shag, the Collegiate Shag or just Beach Swing, the smooth sounds and starry nights of the Crystal Coast are the perfect setting for friends and couples to make great moves and great memories.