Everything you need to know about shag dancing in Virginia. Shag clubs, beach music hot spots and a DeeJay-approved playlist of top shag songs.
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Video: How to Shag Like a Champion!
You know where to go and you know what to listen to. Now it's time to see how it's done, by watching 21-year-old Virginia Beach shagger Brennar Goree, dancing in the video above with Torri Smith at the 2010 National Shag Dance Championships.
Brennar Goree has been shag dancing since he was eight years old. At the age of nine he started competing and now he is the USA Grand National Shag Dance Champion.
You can see more of Brennar and Torri in action at BrennarandTorri.com
Did our story about shag dancing make you want to move your feet? Then slide on your dancing shoes, because shag is for everyone. The community embraces newcomers and experts alike; you just need to know where to go and what to dance to.
Though shag dancing is most closely identified with the Carolinas, Virginia boasts nine shag clubs for people to spin and pivot in throughout the state. Contact information for all nine is listed below, so dance your way down the list and find the shag club closest to you.
Battlefield Boogie Club, P.O. Box 1176, Locust Grove, VA 22508, Contact: Wes Kirchner, 540-226-6007, wezleek@aol.com, BattlefieldBoogieClub.com
Boogie on the Bay, P.O. Box 3291, Portsmouth, VA 23701, Contact: Joe Webb, 757-436-3075, President@BoogieontheBay.com, BoogieontheBay.com
Colonial Shag Club, P.O. Box 12104, Newport News, VA 23612, Contact: Mel Hemphill, 757-595-5241, mkhemphill@cox.net, ColonialShagClub.com
Danville Shag Club, PO Box 4743, Danville, Virginia 24540, Contact: Sandra Strader, 434-836-4881, sstrader0207@comcast.net, DanvilleShagClub.com
Lynchburg Area Shag Club, P.O. Box 11243, Lynchburg, VA 24506, Contact: Margo Murphy, 434-384-7234, Margo000@comcast.net, LynchburgShags.com
Northern Virginia Shag Club, P.O. Box 5522, McLean, VA 22103, Contact: Tim Farris, 703-981-4656, tfarris11@yahoo.com, NVShag.org
Richmond Shag Club, P.O. Box 35771, Richmond, VA, 23235, Contact: Jane Renger, 804-397-9796, JaneRenger@comcast.net, RichmondShag.Homestead.com
Virginia Beach Shag Club, P.O. Box 3098, Virginia Beach, VA 23454, Contact: Frances Scearce, 757-673-8915, fscearce@cox.net, VBShagclub.com
Now that you know where to go, you need to know what to dance to. Luckily the Association of Beach and Shag Club DeeJays (ABSCDJ) compiles an annual Top 50 Shag Songs of the year. Legendary beach and shag DeeJay Charlie Byrd, host of weekly syndicated show "The Charlie Byrd Beach Blast," produced the list from the early 1990s until his death in 2004.
Since 2004, the list has been curated by ABSCDJ Historian and Webmaster David Sessoms, based on suggestions from fellow DeeJays.
Read: The Top 50 Shag Songs of 2010
So now you know your shag club locations, you've got your playlist of the most popular shag songs, and—if you've seen the video of Virginia Beach native Brennar Goree dancing with Torri Smith at the National Shag Dance Championships—you know what shag dancing is supposed to look like. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and get shagging!
