Page 12 - Harnett Life Winter 2022

Shagging in the USA

and Harnett County

By Crissy Neville

Officers and volunteers of the Harnett Area Shag Association

If an Austin Powers movie comes to mind when the word shag- The Shag was not, and is not, a stuffy, upscale dance like ball-
ging is heard, you must not be from Harnett County … or the room dancing’s waltz and foxtrot, but rather a casual, fun, par-
Carolinas. Shag dancing and its Beach Music sidekick are as ty dance for anyone, Some compare shagging to swing dancing
quintessential to Coastal Plain places as apples are to Appala- and even intermingle their moves, but the Shag, specifically
chia. the Carolina Shag, stands apart as its own dance with 6-and-
8-count patterns earning it the nickname “swing dance of the
Many years ago, the Shag was born on the beaches of South South.” Other versions include the 6-count 1930s Shag, a.k.a.
Carolina. North Myrtle Beach became the mecca for shaggers, Collegiate Shag, and the St. Louis Shag, an 8-count style per-
but towns across Eastern North and South Carolina got in the formed at high speeds.
game with shag dance clubs, too. How many of you remember
the infamous Shaggers Club in Dunn behind Heath’s Steak- But it is still a dance you have to learn. For beginners, the
house, where Mi Casita’s sits today? Another popular place rhythm might sound familiar. The basic steps for the Shag fol-
in driving distance included Williams Lake over in Sampson low a six-count, eight-step pattern danced in a slot. There’s
County. Both sites are the stuff of legend and sweet memories much stepping back and forth, weight-shifting and mirroring
today. of your partner’s movements. The man leads with his left foot,
and the woman follows with her right.
The quick and smooth shag dance rose to popularity among
young people in the 1940s and ‘50s ― when the beach music In the basic form, each partner does the same step on the op-
genre was at its height ―and has ebbed and flowed ever since. posite foot. If you have watched synchronized swimming, you
Southern Living Magazine shared the dance’s description as might get the picture. Past the beginning steps, myriad moves
akin to a “cold beer on a warm night with a hot date and no await dancers as they progress and pace themselves to try fast-
plans for tomorrow.” er and more complicated steps. Not a dance of old, the Shag is
still seen all over the South at weddings, parties, town festivals

Page 12 Harnett Life ~ Winter 2022