Learn the Carolina Shag

22 Jul 2024

Part of the true island experience along the southeastern North Carolina coast is the sounds of beach music carried across the water and through the salt-air neighborhoods on the canals, along the Intracoastal Waterway, and on the oceanfront. Enjoying beach music on Sunday evenings during the Holden Beach Summer Concert Series is certainly a time-honored tradition.

While locals are no strangers to dancing to classic Carolina beach music, many visitors are interested in learning the Carolina Shag. We hope this overview helps you to get started, or if you’re a little rusty, reignite your Carolina dance groove!

Back to the Roots

The roots of Carolina beach music are traced back to rock, R&B, and pop music popular through many generations along the coasts of North and South Carolina. The music is most closely associated with the traditional beach music dance, the Carolina shag, also known as the “swing dance of the South.” As a matter of fact, the North Carolina "state dance" is the shag. With a rich history and mainstream following, the dance is alive and well on the Brunswick Isles!

What is the Carolina Shag?

Based on a six-beat, shag dancers move to "one-and-two, three-and-four, five-six,” which is known as the 4/4 "blues shuffle." Regions and dancers have their own “flavor,” but the unique beach bop is fun to watch and do. It’s sort of like riding a bike… once you learn how to feel that rhythm and shuffle those feet, you’ll never forget.

While the R&B oldies are still favorites for the serious shaggers, the popularity of the classic Carolina shag has not waned and more and more beach bands are performing along the coast and nationwide. And who doesn’t love dancing in the place where music meets the ocean on Holden Beach?