Local Information

Horry (Pronounced O-Ree) County was named for Revolutionary War hero Peter Horry (1743-1815). The county was originally a part of Georgetown District, and at one time it was called Kingston. It became a separate county in 1801, with the county seat at Conway. This area of the state was isolated for many years by numerous rivers and swamps, and the inhabitants sometimes referred to themselves as the "Independent Republic of Horry." Lumber and naval stores were the primary industries during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, with tobacco farming being introduced later. In the twentieth century tourism has come to dominate the coastal section of the county centered around Myrtle Beach.

SHAG DANCING ORIGINATED IN MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA:

The Shag has been the "official dance of South Carolina" since 1984. The Carolina Shag is a spin-off of the Charleston and Collegiate Shag. Today's Shag dance has no resemblance to the original style danced in the 1930's. This dance originated in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and was sometimes called the Cuban Step, Shuffle, Twinkle and so on.

The actual birthplace of the Shag is said to have originated in the Atlantic Beach area. The modern form of the Shag was originally danced at the Pavilion in Myrtle Beach in the 1940's when the R&B Bands were playing the local clubs. Since its origin, the music and the dancers have adjusted with the times to bring the Carolina Shag to its present form. Dancing on the beach gave the Carolina Shag the nickname of "beach dancing and/or beach music".

Today's version of the Shag is a combination of a slotted East Coast Swing dance with influence from the West Coast Swing, including 6 and 8 count patterns. Today's dance is fancy footwork by the leader, with the follower matching the leader's footwork in some instances. Most dance

Steps are not choreographed, and there are few patterns and spins due to its origin in the sand.

In earlier times, the Carolina Shag was known as the "Beach Swing" and was done to "Beach Music". The Shag is popular mostly in southern states like Florida, the Carolinas, Virginia and Georgia, etc. Shag dancing is smooth and it connects partners with the mood and music.

There is a new dance called the Swag on the horizon. The Swag is a derivative of the West Coast Swing and the Shag. It is a great dance, but most likely it will not replace the Carolina Shag in the Myrtle Beach area, and probably not in South Carolina.