Shag Dance Team Composed Of Young People Pull Out ‘Excellent Moves’ To Snag Dance Championship Title

Feb 07, 2023

There are so many dance styles that people can enjoy. From salsa to cha-cha to hip-hop, there are simply too many to mention, so people – regardless of age – definitely won’t run out of options. But have you ever heard of shag dancing?

The history of the slow grind jazz dance, popularly known as shag dancing, goes way back. According to NCPedia, historians trace its roots to the early settlers of the states of North Carolina and South Carolina. It rose to popularity in the 1940s and was then known as “beach music” – with people dancing to both quick and smooth moves. 

In a story published in Southern Living in 2022, Carolina Shag was described as a "cold beer on a warm night with a hot date and no plans for tomorrow." Often linked to the term “swing dancing,” shag dancing has become known as the “swing dance of the South.” 

If you’re the type of person who loves watching shag dancing but hasn’t tried dancing to it before, you might actually think it’s easy. But is it? Well, yes and no. If you’re going to dance it at social events as most Southerners do, you can definitely improvise and just go with it whatever your body tells you to. 

But it’s a totally different story if you take it to competitions. While the steps to shag dancing may appear basic, it actually isn’t. Simply put, it takes skills to pull off an amazing shag dancing routine without looking like you’re trying too hard. It’s all about mirroring the dance step of your partner while appearing completely in sync.

Most people might think shag dance is a dance genre only made for two people given its history where, for the longest time, the male always leads the woman. But that really isn’t the case these days. Just like most dance styles, shag dancing has also evolved throughout the years. Now, people do shag dancing nowadays in groups. One might probably say it’s not feasible to seamlessly pull off intricate dance steps in groups – until one group proved nothing is impossible.

Those who appear on television doing shag dancing are often either adults or seniors. But some young people are breaking stereotypes as they formed a group to keep the deep-rooted tradition of shag dancing alive. The young people, whose ages range from 14-20, wanted to make their love for Carolina shag known to the world. 

In 2016, the group of dancers called the Junior Shag Dance Team was declared champion at the Grand National Dance Championship (GNDC). Established in 1995, the GNDC is dubbed “the largest and most diverse Carolina Shag and West Coast Swing Dance Event in the World.” It is held every Memorial Weekend. 

The jaw-dropping shag dance routine featured songs such as The Temptations’ “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone,” Aretha Franklin’s “Think” and Little Richard’s “Midnight Special.”

One can definitely say that they took to heart every dance step as they danced to the songs as one, mirroring each other and completely in sync with each other. Even when they broke off into six pairs, they were still in sync.

People couldn’t get enough of the young people’s performance, with some saying they pulled off “excellent moves.”

“Wow! Must have had a fantastic teacher to guide all those lovey youngsters to that outstanding performance,” another person wrote.

What can you say about the kids’ shag dance performance? Let us know what you think, and pass this on to your family and friends who might find this story interesting!