Shag Dancing may not be a term you are familiar with, but you have undoubtedly seen it. It is a playful traditional style that can be seen in 1940s films, and it is being preserved by gifted dancers of all ages. Some young dancers are even really impressively personalizing it!
This performance from the 2012 USA Grand National Dance Championship demonstrated the high-energy shows that the Junior Shag Division is capable of producing. Karsyn Folds, 10, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Ethan Alban, 11, both from Florence, South Carolina, stole the event with their flawless dancing.
Karsyn Folds, 10, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Ethan Alban, 11, of Florence, South Carolina, hit the dance floor prepared to blow everyone’s socks off. They lined up as they awaited the beginning of their music while wearing identical costumes. Shag is typically linked with beach music, so if anyone was astonished by the unusual song selection (Studio All-Stars’ Mercy – (Tribute to Duffy) began to play), they didn’t have time to be surprised for very long.
You’ll adore this performance if you enjoy witnessing kids display a talent that is beyond their years. You can see Ethan and Karsyn staying in that fundamental pattern while yet incorporating a ton of intricate footwork, as stated by the Northern Virginia Shag Club: “The basic Carolina Shag step is a 6-count, 8-step pattern performed in a slot.”
As wonderful as their performance is at first, it only gets better and better. To give the dance their own special flair and charm, they use drops and even the splits. According to a YouTube commenter:
“Are you sure this tiny young couple is real? Amazing, wow. Can’t you just picture them at 88 and still being the greatest Shaggers ever?
Beach culture in the Carolinas gave rise to stag dance in the 1940s. It currently enjoys the prestigious distinction of being both South Carolina’s and North Carolina’s “State Dance.”
Similar to other swing dancing styles, there is a lot of space for improvisation and customization. This is what makes watching it performed by young dancers with skill like Karsyn and Ethan so fascinating!
On YouTube, their video has gained a lot of popularity. One user commented:
“Do they have joints filled with rocket-propelled jello? Sublime!”
We undoubtedly concur, and it appears that the USA Grand National Dance Championship does as well. The group was founded in 1995 with the goal of preserving the many styles of swing dancing. To “offer a pleasant, friendly, and organized competitive dancing setting where different dance communities can get inspired by the other to share, develop, and merge into one dance while retaining the integrity of each dance independently,” is how they describe their goal.
Ethan and Karsyn most definitely fit into that! Not bad considering they were fourth in the competition.
Watch the performance here:
