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.