The Southern-born dance is half a century old, but still jumpin’ and jivin’ in the Lowcountry.

If you haven’t heard of shag dancing, one thing is for certain: You aren’t from the Carolinas. Shagging came into fashion in the 1950s after originating in and around Myrtle Beach with rebellious boys and girls in canvas shoes and bobby socks. It became the official state dance of South Carolina in 1984, and the state music is—you guessed it—beach music.

So how did the dance fever shimmy its way down to Savannah? By way of devoted Savannah Shag Club members Gloria Moak and her partner, Walter Purcell.

Moak, Purcell and the other members of the Savannah Shag Club reminisce about their introduction to the dance with the specificity one usually reserves for more conventional milestones such as a wedding or the birth of a child. They spout names of legendary shaggers with reverence and list their successes like a sportscaster rattles off batting averages. “It’s like a religion,” Purcell explains. “And the purists never feel like they got it right,” adds 20-year member Bill Benninghoff.

Though shag purists make up a majority of the Savannah club, the group is anything but exclusive. They understand that the survival of shag depends on enthusiasm and youth. The group’s 137 members are not short on enthusiasm, but they do hope to add some young blood to the mix. Moak, president of the club, explains that the average age of shaggers is 55, “but we welcome new dancers of all ages and would love to see more people 21 to 40 join us.”

You don’t need a partner to join the Savannah Shag Club, and you certainly don’t need to be an expert dancer. Formed in 1988, the club is primarily a social group bound together by an unmatched enthusiasm for shaking their thang.

A newcomer should know a few basics, however. Most importantly, club members distinguish themselves by the brand of shag they dance. For instance, Moak and Purcell dance “true” shag, known as the Carolina Shag, in which both partners move up and down on a single line. This 6-foot-long and 3-foot-wide “slot,” as they call it, prevents dancers from bumping into one another on a crowded dance floor. Both partners maintain a fairly still and upright torso, while their feet do most of the jiving. The Carolina Shag is different from what club members call the Savannah Shag, which incorporates swing dancing elements: The upper body moves more freely and partners often travel the dance floor.

Whether your interest lies in mastering the complex steps of Carolina Shag, or if you prefer to put your own spin on things, the Savannah Shag Club will welcome you as long as you’re willing to do two things: get up and dance, and do your best to avoid colliding with veteran shaggers.

For more information on the Savannah Shag Club, visit www.savannahshagclub.com

Hit the Dance Floor

The Savannah Shag Club boogies twice a week:

*Wednesday nights at Doubles Lounge, located at the Holiday Inn Midtown on Abercorn Street. Early in the evening they offer free mini-lessons.

*Friday nights at the American Legion, Post 36, on Victory Drive. Shag DJ Jessie Griffin—the first woman president of the exclusive Association of Beach and Shag Club DeeJays—is at the helm.

Tune In

Tune to 104.9 FM for 24/7 shaggable beach music, blues, boogie and jazz. www.johnfm.net

Shag Central

Jekyll Island hosts its annual Beach Music Festival on August 21–22. Check out www.jekyllisland.com/beachmusicfestival/index.html for details.