How to Do Shag Dancing
Along with deep-fried cooking and world-famous hospitality, shag dancing is something Southerners take pride in as uniquely their own. The basic rhythm count for this dance is “one-and-two, three-and-four, five, six” for a total of eight counts and can be danced with swing, blues or beach music. It takes a little bit of practice, but in a few short steps you can be shuffling like a Southerner.
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Instructions
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1
Hold the follower’s (usually the female) right hand with your left hand, if you're the lead. Both dancers’ feet should rarely leave the floor during the dance. Most of the movement is shuffling.
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2
Slide your left foot forward on the count of “one." Then slide your right foot parallel to their left on “and," and finally, shuffle your left foot backward to its original position on “two.”
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3
Take a large slide back one step with your right behind the left foot on the count of “three.”
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4
Shifts your weight onto your left food or stamp with your left foot on the “and” count. The same action is done for the count of “four” with the right foot.
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5
Bring your left food back parallel with your right foot on the count of “five.” The right foot shuffles forward a step for the final count of “six.” The time it takes you to complete “five” and “six” should be just as long as “one-and-two” or “three-and-four.” This will help you with the rhythm as well. The dance then repeats itself as the dancer brings his or her left foot back parallel to the right just as it was in the beginning.
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6
Branch out into more freestyle or advanced moves. Just keep in mind that you should try to keep your feet close to the floor as possible and never move the same foot twice.
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Tips & Warnings
To shag dance as the follower (usually the female), simply change the foot instructions to the opposite. For example, left foot forward would turn into right foot forward.
