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.
