Carolina Shag Dancing - Beyond Tiki

DTG DJ Terence Gunn Member Joined: Jun 20, 2005 Posts: 250	DTG DJ Terence Gunn Posted posted on Tue, Aug 14, 2007 12:50 PM It's funny that someone should bring up this subject; only for me, the dancing isn't mysterious at all: the forms are merely those of the popular jazz dance styles from the 1920s-1940s, arguably adopted by white people from black people, and possessing more of a glide and slide, than bounce and bop. The history and progression of the Carolina Beach Music scene is far more interesting, though again hardly mysterious. And it is only called Beach Music because that is where one would hear the music: on jukeboxes at beach joints along the SC Coast. When I joined MUZAK in December 1999 and the company moved from Seattle to Fort Mill, SC (on the border next to Charlotte, NC), we all thought the Carolina Beach Music Scene was some sort of state surf music scene. After some research (which I had to do for my job), what it all came down to in basic terms was this (I include this link as it sums things up pretty well, albeit leanly): http://people.cornell.edu/pages/kpl5/Shag_rap.html Basically, there's really not much to it, as today it is all very convoluted, progressive, and up to individual definition (often based on your generation and where you spent your days 'Shagging').

It's funny that someone should bring up this subject; only for me, the dancing isn't mysterious at all: the forms are merely those of the popular jazz dance styles from the 1920s-1940s, arguably adopted by white people from black people, and possessing more of a glide and slide, than bounce and bop. The history and progression of the Carolina Beach Music scene is far more interesting, though again hardly mysterious. And it is only called Beach Music because that is where one would hear the music: on jukeboxes at beach joints along the SC Coast.

When I joined MUZAK in December 1999 and the company moved from Seattle to Fort Mill, SC (on the border next to Charlotte, NC), we all thought the Carolina Beach Music Scene was some sort of state surf music scene. After some research (which I had to do for my job), what it all came down to in basic terms was this (I include this link as it sums things up pretty well, albeit leanly):

http://people.cornell.edu/pages/kpl5/Shag_rap.html

Basically, there's really not much to it, as today it is all very convoluted, progressive, and up to individual definition (often based on your generation and where you spent your days 'Shagging').

Post #325595 by DJ Terence Gunn on Tue, Aug 14, 2007 12:50 PM