As one person put it, shagging is what some people in the U.S. do on the dance floor. The rest of the civilized world does it in the bedroom. Well, for those who aren’t familiar let me give you a heads up on shagging.
I have to admit that during my early days in the U.K. I had only heard “shag” used in one way — a dance. Well, one night shortly after I had moved to U.K. and made a few friends we headed out to a club. For those who aren’t familiar with clubs or pubs in the smaller towns of U.K. they are the community gathering place. Most everyone it seemed, young and old, would gather at the pub in the evenings for conversation, darts, food and ale. Occasionally, there would be a few who would dance in a corner. I can’t say that I remember a real dance floor in the little neighborhood pub I frequented.
So, a few of us had gone out for fish and chips and stopped by the pub on the way home for a pint of ale. Now, I absolutely love the blues and soul music. At the time I was in U.K. American soul music was a hit in most of the country. I guess my head was keeping time with the music or maybe I was tapping my foot. One of the young men asked me to dance. And, I replied, “I would love to shag with you. You do shag, don’t you?”
Oh, well. Trust me on this one. You can see a face blush even in low light. Honestly, I had no idea what I had done or said. English for Americans is a foreign language.
I guess it is best to define “the shag” as a modified version of swing dancing from the early to mid part of the 20th century. I can remember seeing people along the beach, actually on the sand, shagging — the dance. But, the highlight of living at the beach was the pavilion. Everyone gathered there. The floors were hard wood, not always polished. The bars served beer and couples danced for hours and hours, each designing a new step or polishing a turn.
The shag really got started as a dance along the coasts of North Carolina and South Carolina. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is the hub of shag dancing even today. In all fairness it took quite a few years for the dance to become a national thing, with national competitions. Of course, I have to say that once the dance spread across the nation and became popular the steps didn’t change all that much, but it did become a little more formal so to speak.
Here’s the way it really started. Back in the 1950′s when the blues evolved in part into beach music, music common to the southeastern coast of the U.S., I guess everyone was doing the swing. From that the shag came into being, a little less formal and a lot more fun.
I have heard some complain that women don’t do all the fancy steps men do. Well, that was pretty much true at the beach. The women would dress up — in shorts and halter tops — and the hair! Oh, my! The hair. It was teased and sprayed into a hard hat. So, when it was time to do the fancy turns, the men did them to keep from bumping the woman’s hair. Heaven knows, you can’t mess up a southern belles hair!
Another thing that is often mentioned is how the woman’s left arm seems to stay by her side. Well, there is a reason for that, too. The woman who didn’t want her hair messed up would hold her beer or her partner’s beer in her left hand while they danced. I guess keeping the arm relatively stiff and straight was a way to not spill the beer.
So, for the sake of shagging — the dance — men would “peacock” or show off their fancy steps and the woman would be there to keep the 1-2-3 beat. Over time women have begun to really show their stuff, but originally the dance was all about showing off fancy steps for men.
I found a couple of videos on youtube that show off my hometown dance. I decided to share them. The first video is the 2004 champs.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKzrQ1RedxY
Just so you know, kids usually shag before they can walk well and old folks still do the dance. I have seen 70 year olds keeping up. This video is of a couple of kids.
So I am thankful for shagging today — whether I’m doing the dance I grew up with at the beach or whether I’m in U.K. 
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I am from South Carolina and worked as a lifeguard at the beach in Ocean Drive (now North Myrtle Beach) in the late 1960s. I have been shagging for the last 45 years and it is a wonderful way to meet ladies. I fear that I am the last generation to enjoy this form of recreation. I fear that it will die along with the Charleston and the Virginia Reel. However, I intend to shag as long as I can stand and find a partner to shag with.
dukeofsc
You must have been that good looking lifeguard that never saved me when I feigned drowning! Seriously, as long as we can keep “Miss Grace” as the state song, some of us will make the annual pilgrimmage to S.O.S. (Shagging on the Strand).
Have faith, we are not the last generation to keep the shag going. I’m coming back to Oean Isle, NC for a few months and as long as I can shuffle along I can shag!
Thank you for giving me a word from home.
Maya
Another word for you to add to that “foreign language” English English-while your were “shagging”, I was “pulling” and I didn’t even know it! Thanks for the fun Maya-Laury
It must be something about those of us who venture beyond our natiural boundaries!