Why you should go: We can thank the African American community of the late 1930s and the popularity of “beach music” in the ’40s for South Carolina’s state dance. Humorist Lewis Grizzard famously described shag as “doing the jitterbug on Valium.” One might also describe it as a laid-back style of swing suited to spilling out onto sandy shores. And no visit to Myrtle Beach is complete without seeing it performed live. Fat Harold’s Beach Club regularly hosts enthusiasts of the “one-and-two-and-rockback,” and you can also learn to pivot, belly roll, and boogie walk yourself at the Spanish Galleon.
2025 Bucket List
Learn the Shag
Ready to boogie walk?
in partnership with
Photo: visit myrtle beach
Shagging on the beach.
Related Stories:
Food & Drink
With bold flavors and neighborhood vibes, the Holy City’s smallest restaurants are some of its biggest culinary draws
Arts & Culture
Four decades later, Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain wonderland still sparkles
Seven Southern
These top-notch bakeshops let flour-free customers have their cake—and pies, cookies, donuts, croquetas, and biscuits—and eat them too
Trending Stories:
Land & Conservation
The future of conservation in the South just got a little bit brighter—and not just for salamanders
Land & Conservation
The mounds may look insignificant, but they’re the craftsmanship of local crustaceans called lawn lobsters
Arts & Culture
The drawls are receiving a lot of flak across the internet, but a North Carolina linguist argues they’re actually pretty accurate