Many parents get to watch their kids perform in one way or another, but imagine being a parent of one of the Junior Shag Dance Team members as they take first place at a major competition with an impeccable and captivating routine!
“Junior Shag Dance Team” is not a generic term for any random group of teen dancers in the shag category of dance. Rather, it is the name of a very elite organization founded in 2008 to “spread Carolina shag dancing around the world.” That sounds like a lofty goal, but watch these young athlete-artists as they shag to three different tunes with astonishing precision and flair. They might just be able to bring shag dancing to the masses!
The 2016 12-member team is dressed uniformly in turquoise and black. The ladies wear modest but movement-friendly aqua blouses over black tank tops and black slacks. The gentlemen wear black slacks and shirts with ties, cuffs, and collars in a shade to match the girls. The girls wear their long hair down with a section pulled back into a white barrette. Like a show choir group or a team of competitive cheerleaders, they are precise in their attire. But, the attention to detail does not end there!
Try to catch a misstep or a timing glitch! From the moment the last dancer takes his spot and strikes his right toe onto the stage—presumably signaling to his teammates that all are in position—until 4.5 minutes later when they turn and exit stage right, they are pure perfection!
Initially, the girls are a bit more smiley, but the guys are grinning and having a great time by the end of the routine. They must love what they do because being this good has to take tons of practice and energy. Watch as they move flawlessly in methodically-measured steps from one formation to another—lines, pairs, quartets, and more. They make a routine that must have taken hundreds of hours to master, look easy!
This particular team won the Grand National Dance Championships in 2016. These young Carolinians certainly made their states proud. The shag, which came about in the 1930’s and 40’s combines fancy footwork and upbeat music, and it is South Carolina’s official state dance. Over the years, teams have included dancers from Georgia, Florida, and Virginia, in addition to those from North and South Carolina.
Good for these young people who are investing their time and talent in something positive, and good for their folks who are supporting them in their endeavors!