The Carolina Shag is a dance that was created by young adults in the 1940s dancing their nights away in Carolina beach dance houses. It was danced to “beach music” in the beginning and had its roots in swing, it is referred to as the “Swing of the South.” It was a fun and new dance for a new generation that wanted to have fun.
Brennar Goree and Autumn Jones are two professional Carolina Shag dancers that are keeping the dance floor shaking with the Shag.
“At the height of its popularity, the Shag wasn’t known particularly as a classy, traditional dance; but its recent revival has an air of tradition, while not succumbing to seeming stuffy. It’s a quick, fun, and very social dance, which is what makes it the perfect dance to know for a party,” Southern Living states.
Brennar and Autumn perfectly execute the Shag as a fun and quick dance but, at the same time, coordinated complicated and traditional choreography.
Brennar Goree and Autumn Jones have been dancing the Carolina Shag as partners since the age of 8.
They were partners throughout their career as junior dancers and were both members of the National Shag Dance Team as well. Brennar and Autumn both went to the professional level of Shag and kept dancing together as partners. The have won many awards and championships with their Shag dances. The dance video below was awarded first place at the Grand National Dance Championship in the Carolina Classic Division.
The Carolina Shag dance “…is defined by six counts and eight steps. It’s typically performed to the beat of Beach Music, which is characterized by a 4/4 time signature. In other words, this isn’t a slow dance. It’s a quick yet specific dance method that requires great skill for perfection. Think of it as an offshoot of Swing.”
What makes the Carolina Shag so fun to dance to or watch is that it leaves the dancers many opportunities to add their own creative choreography into the dance.
Autumn and Brennar dance the shag to Ike and Tina Turner’s classic song, “Proud Mary.” That is one song that keeps their feet moving fast throughout the whole song. These two partners know each other’s movements like a sixth sense, since they have danced together for so long. Their dance is quick and complicated, but they dance to it with ease.
Their feet never stop moving and they are moving at a rapid pace.
Autumn and Brennar include many twists and turns within their dance and they are not easy moves. They twist and turn while being intertwined or on the ground or in each other’s arms. These two dance as if they were in a dance club on the beaches of the Carolinas because they are having so much fun.
Brennar and Autumn will blow you away with their dance.
This complicated dance shows are truly talented they are. The dance is several minutes of pure talent and fun. You might even find yourself smiling or getting into the music yourself as you become engrossed in their performance.
After watching their dance once, you will immediately want to watch it again.
They have included so many impressive dance movements all at once that you cannot concentrate on seeing it all, especially their quick footwork. Everyone should watch it a second time just to solely focus on their feet. This fun and amazing dance definitely deserved the first-place honor it received. At the end of their dance the crowd cheers up roaringly loud.
Watch the creative Carolina Shag dance right below.
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