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Belmont’s Friday Night Live has quickly become THE place for beach music bands to perform. According to the Belmont Merchant Association President, Vince Hill, the Belmont Friday Night Live is now “the second largest summer beach festival in North and South Carolina.” Routinely drawing 6 to over 9 thousand fans, it features such legendary bands such as The Embers, The Tams, Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs, and the NC Music Hall of Fame inductees “General Johnson and the Chairmen of the Board.”

What is “Shag music”, you ask? Well, the basic dance step is most suited to Rhythm & Blues music, but “Shag” is really a style of swing dancing. It’s become a way of life for people all along the east coast. Some even refer to it as a “religion.” Say amen brother and grab your partner for some true southern fun!

Shag dancing seems to transcend age and brings together all kinds of enthusiasts seeking to perfect its laid-back, seemingly effortless moves. In fact, it’s become so much a part of the culture; it’s been declared the official dance of the Carolinas! A close cousin of the 1930s craze called the Big Apple, the shag has been the subject of a movie, books, and countless magazine and newspapers articles.

The laid back Carolina “Southerners” slowed it down and smoothed it out a bit. Much more than a dance, the shag is also a feeling of friendship, and of sand, salt, and surf combined with smoothly worn hardwood floors. It’s become a way of life set to rhythm and blues and an opportunity to re-live youth, lost or not!

Most agree that the modern form of the “Shag” was first danced in the Myrtle Beach area. (Some say from the old Pavilion.) It gained popularity in the mid 1940s, when the R&B bands were playing the beaches and the clubs. The music slowed down considerably and the dancers, the music and the times changed the dance up to reflect its current look and feel. Dancing on the beach (literally) helped change the dance too, and that’s where the nickname, “Beach Music” originated.

Today, the “Shag” consists mainly of fancy footwork by the leader, with the follower matching the leader’s foot work occasionally. Choreography usually is not done socially or competitively but that seems to be changing. There are a few patterns of the Carolina Shag; however an immense amount of “footwork” can be seen in each move. True seasoned “Shaggers” take pride in adopting their own versions of the dance, each being distinctive and effortless. Using the balls of their feet and small steps, “Shaggers” manage to perform this very “cool” style of dance to individual perfection.

“Shag” has become such a way of life to so many people, it’s hard to imagine a time before “Beach Music.” Be sure to plan a trip to downtown Belmont to see some expert “shaggers” at work during the Belmont Merchants Friday Night Live!

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