Dance Art Event - Shag Music & The Big Apple

Having grown up in New York, shag music and the dance style that accompanies it were completely foreign to me until I moved to South Carolina about 15 years ago.  It was only upon my relocation and marriage into a very Southern family that I became familiar with this particular type of dance.  My in-laws love to shag and we all attend an annual party where the highlight is the shag music and the dancing.  It took awhile to get my Northern body used to this Southern dance but I eventually figured it out and it is now something that I really do enjoy. 

Shag dancing has its roots here in South Carolina where it became popular in small clubs along the coast, particularly in the Myrtle Beach area and, as such, it is the official dance of the state of South Carolina.  The original shag dance took shape in the 1930s while the form of shag dance that is currently popular is more of a combination of that original shag dance and another type of dance known as the jitterbug.  Though in its early days, the shag was performed to a variety of types of music, these days the shag is performed primarily to beach music. 

The basic shag count is "1-and-2, 3-and-4, 5, 6” for a total of eight counts even though it is done with 4 count music.  The dancer's feet move at each part of the count (including the "and").  The video below clearly demonstrates the count used by the dancers...particularly at about minute 3 of the video!

The Big Apple was originally known as the "House of Peace" synagogue and was a place of worship in its original location on Park Street.  In the mid 1930's, the congregation of the synagogue needed more space so they sold the building to purchasors who turned the building into the Big Apple Night Club.  It became a place for young people to come and dance the night away.  It was here that the "Big Apple Dance" was created by young people from USC in 1937.  The dance became a national craze and was performed all over the country.  The club, however, closed just a short time later in 1938 and the property was sold.  In the late 1970's, the building was moved to its current location and in the mid-1990's was acquired by the Columbia Historic Foundation for preservation. 

  This picture shows the entrance to the Big Apple with it's arched, stained glass windows.

  This photo shows the second floor balcony that was originally used as a viewing area for the night club.

  A picture of the original Big Apple Night Club.

Assignment #6 - Dance

 

The baroque period of dance occurred between the years 1600 and 1750.  The period was heavily influenced by King Louis XIV and his intense love of dance.  According to our class lecture on the subject of dance, the dance of this period is characterized by "dynamic movement, overt emotion and self-confident rhetoric".  In addition, the movements are full of "grandeur, richness, drama and vitality".  The dance of this period wasn't very subtle but instead very intense.  Additionally, there was a tendency during this period of dance to "blur the distinctions between various arts".  This was most evident to me in the re-enactment videos we watched of King Louis XIV's dance performances.  These performances were not characterized solely by dance movements but also contained many theatrical elements as well.

As dance has evolved over the years, many different styles and approaches to the art form have developed.  Some are more traditional in nature while others push the envelope a bit.  One of those that, in my opinion, pushes the envelope a bit is the experimental form of Japanese dance known as Butoh.  Butoh originated, obviously, in Japan in the late 1950's.  It is known as the "dance of the dark soul".  It is extremely emotionally intense and at times can be perceived as quite disturbing.  I am including a video clip of a Butoh performance.  I was struck while watching this that though it does feel very dark and, at times, depressing, it is quite impressive in its grace at the same time. 

In my experience, I have found dance to be one art form that the majority of individuals enjoy.  It is diverse in its forms and can be presented and experienced in so many different ways that there really is something for everyone when it comes to dance.  People dance for many, many reasons.  As discussed in class, many people dance for the purpose of personal expression.  Words don't necessarily come easily to everyone and they physical movement of dance can give individuals an outlet of expression that they otherwise may not have.  People dance for simpler reasons sometimes; to stay in shape, to spend time with a loved one or friends or to celebrate an occasion of one type or another, or simply to have fun.  In writing this, I took a minute to think about the times I have danced in recent months and found that I myself have danced for a variety of reasons.  I took a few shag lessons with my husband just as an opportunity for us to enjoy each other's company and have a few laughs, I attended the wedding of a close friend and celebrated the good times by dancing into the early morning hours and I went to a concert with several girlfriends where we never even sat in our seats because we were too busy dancing.  Each of these experiences involved dance but each for a unique purpose and experience.  I recall these experiences and it is interesting that even though they all involved dance, the emotions I felt were different with each one.  Perhaps that is part of the appeal of dance to so many...it can make us feel so many different things and let us express the same.