Swing dancing couple bags 1st place at Shag competition with 50-year-old song
You don’t need to be an American, let alone a resident of South Carolina, just to appreciate the Carolina Shag dance.
It’s dated back to the 1940s when the Carolina Shag was first known and introduced onto the dance floor.
According to the T.B.PHELPS’ website, the term Carolina Shag started spreading between Wilmington, North Carolina, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
However, some historians said that the term specifically came from Carolina Beach in North Carolina.
It’s all about that wing, baby.
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The dance’s popularity prospered through the 1950s. People danced the Carolina Shag to “beach music” in the beginning and had its roots in Swing.
It’s all about feeling the beat of the music with your partner.
As added by T.B.PHELPS, 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.”
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The Southern Living website also states that “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.”
Actually, not just at parties but also in dance competitions where the best of the best dancers go up against each other.
One formidable pair have been dancing together since they were 8 years old.
Meet Brennar Goree and Autumn Jones.
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Goree and Jones have been a duo throughout their careers as junior dancers and both were proud members of the National Shag Dance Team.
The partners have won multiple awards.
That includes championships in Shag dance competitions.
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The video below was just one of their many award-winning performances.
It was taken at the Grand National Dance Championship in the Carolina Classic Division where the duo bagged the first-place award.
With their years of experience as partners, there’s no more wondering why this duo keeps on collecting award after award.
Aside from the lively nature of Shag dance, it’s also fun to watch because of how free the dance steps are.
They kept it proud.
Talking about freedom, both Autumn and Brennar displayed it when they danced Shag to Ike and Tina Turner’s classic song, “Proud Mary.”
After being introduced by the event’s host, they immediately kicked off their routine with their slick slides and turns.
They hadn’t reached the mid-part of their performance yet but the two were already flaunting their eye-popping exhibitions.
They were fast from the start.
It almost seemed as though the song itself was custom-fit to accommodate their fancy footwork.
At one point, Brennar dropped on both his knees while twisting them from left to right and pulled them back up.
How’s that even possible?
The pair have on-point coordination.
They move as one.
Perhaps, Shag dance is all about the coordination of body movements between partners.
With how the song goes, one miss from either partner could ruin the entire choreography.
Autumn and Brennar here, however, were dancing as one and it’s as if they could read each others’ minds.
Not to mention the fast rhythm of the song, it simply shows how excellent they are in their craft.
What was even more captivating during their performance was that both Autumn and Brennar were smiling throughout their routine.
They’re just having fun while giving everyone watching a magnificent show.
After their show-stopping performance, the crowd went for a standing ovation and showered them with rounds of applause. A well-deserved win!
Try to keep up with Autumn and Brennar while they dance in the video below!
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Source: YouTube – ImproDanceTeam, Southern Living