Sumter Shag Club preserves tradition 1 dance step at a time
In South Carolina, where warm Southern charm meets community spirit, a unique dance tradition continues to thrive and bring folks together - the Carolina Shag.
Rooted in the late 1930s, the Carolina Shag is a rhythmic, smooth dance that blossomed along the coastal region of North Myrtle Beach to the tunes of beach music as well as rhythm and blues, or R&B. Originally influenced by the Black community's expressive dance styles, it enamored local youth who blended those moves with swing music to create distinct, cool and captivating moves now known as the shag. What started as a lifeguard and waitresses' pastime on sandy floors of Cherry Grove's pavilions has become an art form that's all about ease, flow and the joy of movement.
A hop, skip and more than 100 miles inland to Sumter, Whit Blanton, president of Sumter Shag Club for six years, and Melissa May agree that this dance has been life changing. Blanton first came to the Sumter Shag Club venturing over from Florence, and though he was new to the area, no one would be the wiser, as he was welcomed instantly.
"We're just one big family," he expressed. "I had to have knee surgery this year. It's every day, somebody from the Shag Club comes to see you and talk to you; just a real tight-knit group."
May, a native of Arkansas, was a relative newcomer to the world of shag and Sumter when she joined the club in 2015.
"When I first started, I knew nothing about it," she said. "They just took me in like I had always been a part of them."
And this closeness comes from years in the making. Founded in 1985, Sumter Shag Club has spent 39 years dedicated to the preservation of the South Carolina state dance. Goals to promote and preserve the heritage of beach music and shag dancing, educate and teach others the art of shag dancing and provide members and guests with opportunities to socialize and dance have allowed the club's membership to grow from 82 to 228 as of October 2024.
Members range in age - from mid-20s to early 90s - and dance experience. Oftentimes, people show up to its free shag lessons with the intention to watch. To see with their own eyes how folks effortlessly glide across the floors, appearing as if they're walking on air.
On Tuesday nights from 7 to 10 p.m., members gather at The Lounge at Second Mill, 2390 Broad St., for free shag lessons, music and, of course, dancing. The evening unfolds with a beginner-friendly six-count, eight-step pattern, making it easy and enjoyable for everyone, even those who claim to have "two left feet."
"We try to dance with them individually, separate ourselves to dance with them so that they can feel what it is to dance with somebody that can shag. Get them together, get them on the floor and let them enjoy themselves," Blanton said. "Once they come the first time and learn how to shag, they always come back."
Together, Blanton, May and the shag club board members work to engage the younger generations in the traditional dance. Their outreach extends to teaching shag at local schools, including a cotillion for middle-schoolers, in hopes of sparking an interest that will keep the shag alive for generations to come. Each July, young shagger teams join the Junior Shag Association at Ocean Drive in North Myrtle Beach, competing and learning new moves from seasoned dancers.
Beyond their weekly gatherings, the Sumter Shag Club also hosts seasonal events and parties, including a gospel shag, themed parties - where members get in for free and can bring a guest for a small fee - and a popular annual golf tournament. They're known for their charity work, organizing fundraisers and helping families in need. Recently, the smooth-dancing group rallied to collect supplies for North Carolina communities devastated by Hurricane Helene.
Outside of its work in Sumter, the local club meets with shag clubs from cities across North Carolina and South Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Virginia and other states three times a year in North Myrtle Beach. Part of the Society of Stranders, which was started in 1980 by Gene "Swink" Laughter, there are several opportunities each year for Association of Carolina Shag Club members to come together in a select number of days to dance together, enjoy the clubs, listen to great beach music, see concerts, participate in or watch parades and see friends from ACSC clubs from across the country.
What binds these clubs together - including Sumter - is not only their love for the dance, but also their friendships.
"The Sumter Shag Club is so welcoming to everybody of every age, every race, and we just want you to come and dance with us; come on!" May encouraged.
The Carolina Shag means more to Sumter Shag Club than just a dance. It's a shared legacy, one they are dedicated to preserving as part of Southern heritage. And as the music echoes through the lounge on any given Tuesday, it's clear this tradition will keep gliding, one step at a time.