With the passing of time, new styles of dance are constantly emerging. And since we’ve reached the beginning of another new decade – who knows which ones are around the corner!
But just because there are new trends it doesn’t mean that the old styles have to fade away.
Jay Rollins and Tobitha Stewart are two dancers that are highly-skilled in the Carolina Shag that set the floor on fire with their classic moves at the USA Grand National Dance Championship.
Get ready to feel like you’ve been beamed back in time. Jay and Tobitha are talented Shag dancers who are mesmerizing to watch!
Once the music begins, the partners quickly jump into their fancy footwork in front of the judges and crowd. Together they move as smooth as silk, and at times even seem lighter than air.
A viewer named Catherine commented:
“OMG are his legs made of rubber. This is all new to me, first time i heard of a dance called the SHAG let alone see it performed so beautifully.”
The Shag’s known for originating decades ago on South Carolina’s beaches – gaining popularity in the 1940s among the younger crowd.
According to Southern Living, the Carolina Shag has been given the description of being a “cold beer on a warm night with a hot date and no plans for tomorrow.”
It’s an upbeat dance that’s still a tradition in the South and can be seen in dance competitions across the nation. The Discover South Carolina website explains:
“One thing that makes the Shag such a popular dance is that anyone can do it – whether you’re six years old or 96 years old. It breaks barriers and brings everyone together with one common purpose: to have fun and enjoy the music.”
Jay Rollins and Tobitha Stewart had all eyes glued to them during their routine at the Dance Championship. By no surprise, they’ve each made great achievements over the years in the world of dance.
One impressive accomplishment is that Tobitha was inducted into the National Living Legends of Dance (along with her husband Ashley) in 2015, and Jay received the same honor in 2018. They are both Shag dancing instructors in the state of North Carolina.
It’s easy to tell how passionate the duo is about dancing by watching their skills on the dance floor.
They move beautifully together, gliding and twirling with huge smiles spread across their faces. The song in the background is “Boogie The Joint” by Buddy Skipper And The Code Blues Band.
Not only did the partners become the Master Shag Champions that day at the competition – but their performance has also been viewed more than 968,000 times on YouTube!
A fellow dancer named Ann shared:
“My husband and I used to Country Dance and the shag is similar to the East and West Coast Swing. We also attended the dance competitions. These dancers are really smooth. When you partner dance you have to be in sync. They were. I watched their feet and they are damn good.”
After watching the video, Peggy wrote:
“What a pleasure to watch, thank you for sharing and showing us how its done.”
It’s a dance routine that’s fun, energetic, and might inspire you to want to learn how to do the Shag yourself! Discover why Jay and Tobitha took home the first-place by pressing play below.
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