#ThisIsThePlace: Locals continue Carolina Shag tradition

CAROLINA BEACH, NC (WWAY) —  It’s a dance known as the Carolina Shag. It’s actually our state dance that started right here in Carolina Beach.

A normal Sunday at Olde Salty on Pleasure Island beach consists of a lot of shaking, spinning, and an evening full of beach music.

“We come here every Sunday and dance from 5 to 8,” Shagger Keith Thompson said.

It’s clear, good vibes are not hard to come by here.

“There are various stories about how the shag got started,” Thompson said.

Many say Carolina Beach is where it all began. Back in the 40s and 50s, a man known as Chicken Hicks was an early pioneer of “Shagging” or the “Carolina Shag.” He and his brother Bobby would dance at Sea Breeze which at the time was a vacation spot for African Americans.

Similar to the Jitterbug, shagging is a 6-count male dominated partner dance, but was invented so you could hold your partner in one hard and a drink or cigarette in the other.

“It’s predominately a southern dance, been around for a number of years and we like to try to keep it going. It’s almost like a culture,” Thompson said.

Thompson started shagging when he was a teenager and says it’s a lifestyle.

“If someone shags, you have an immediate bond or camaraderie with them because generally we share the same music, we like to dance, and it’s usually just so much alike and we just share that common love of doing the shag,” Thompson said.

More than 40 shaggers dance for hours in this Carolina Beach restaurant.

Shirley Casteen is one of them and says she’s shagged for decades.

“I started in the 60s when I was 13. I used to come down to Carolina Beach to the rec and then when I turned 18 finally I got to go Ocean Plaza,” Casteen said.

Although it takes two to shag, she says she taught herself the moves by a towel tied to a door knob.

“I think I was born with it in my soul,” Casteen said.

While the steps might be a little tricky, these folks will tell you, it’s never too late to learn.

“Any shaggers will dance with any other shagger,” Thompson said. “Any shaggers will teach any body any step.”

With DJ Bernie Braak cranking up the tunes at 5pm like usual, it was time to grab your partner, and bust a move.

“I love it, I come every Sunday, I love it,” Casteen said. “Every week, every week, every chance I get,” Thompson said.

Whether you’re a pro or just beginning, it’s all about sharing this beach town’s music roots.

“It’s all about continuing tradition of the dance and kind of the culture that kind of follows that,” Thompson said.

A southern tradition that begins with a catch song and ends as a good time.

“No age limit,” Thompson said. “If you can walk, you can learn to shag.”

If you love beach music, the Carolina Beach Music Festival will be happening next weekend, June 4, right behind the boardwalk and of course the Cape Fear Shag Club will be there.

It’s always a lot of fun and it’s the longest continuing beach music festival in the country.