Looking For Shaggers, Boppers, Swing Dancers

**ga2flagal** · 02-25-2010, 12:08 AM

Hi Everyone! Finally I'm making my first post. I moved to this beautiful Emerald Coast area in 8/08. What's taken me so long? Well, too many things to mention. I'm a lover and practicioner of Caroline Shag. Native or new Floridian Boppers, Alabama Boppers, and Swing Dancers can and do dance to the same beat. Music can be Blues, Country, R&B, Top 40, Latin, whatever, as long as the beat is right for the dance. Here's what I'm proposing. I'm interested in starting a dance club in the area where we can dance our hearts out to the music we love and have in common. Trying to find out if there is enough interest before I pursue this further. Please post any interest and tell me if you are a Shagger, Bopper, Swing Dancer, and what area you live in. I'm in Miramar Beach. Once I see how much interest there is in this endeavor, I will gather the information to organize and start looking for a place (or places) that would welcome us to their dance floor (a bar or restaurant with preferably a wooden dance floor)... Dancers, DJ's welcome! Please let me know your thoughts about this. Thanks and I look forward to meeting you all. Call me Ga2FlaGal or Ms Y...

**kurt** · 02-25-2010, 05:32 AM

**centerlinewc** · 02-25-2010, 06:15 AM

That was pretty amazing. Thanks for posting that

**Bottomfeeder** · 02-25-2010, 07:50 AM

I learned swing when it made a resurgence in the 90's when I was in college. Been a while since i have done it but my wife and I would be interested.

**Susan Horn** · 02-25-2010, 08:49 AM

I love the swing! Single, triple, double, Western -- it's been years and I'm pretty rusty but willing to try (I love the cha cha too, even better than swing.....). Sadly, my DH doesn't like to dance (putting it mildly). Do you have to have a partner to come to a dance club?

**ga2flagal** · 02-25-2010, 10:20 AM

THANK YOU KURT! How excited I was to see and hear my favorite dance form on Sowal. And I am THRILLED to see others who would be interested too. EVERYONE, keep in mind that the video posted is of PROFESSIONAL SHAGGERS. (We don't all dance that well; but wish we could!)

To answer Susan's question: Having a partner to dance with helps, but amazingly the more different people you dance with, the better you get. A combined club would introduce all to a variety of dances.

I have shagged for 20+ years but I am not a teacher...Well I can teach the girl's part basic. Shag is a mirror dance and the male partner is doing basic steps on the opposite feet that the female is doing. (Hope that makes sense.) However, you do not have to have a partner to come and enjoy the dance and friendships that you will make. One rule of Shag Etiquette is that you accept a dance when asked the first time. It is perfectly acceptable for a woman to ask a man to dance. I don't have a dance partner. My shag is also rusty and suffers from aging! I'm hoping we get at least 25-30 people who would like to participate in chartering a friendly, fun social dance club.

Thank you all for your interest. Tell your friends! I look forward to the new friendships I will make as much as getting back on the dance floor. I will keep checking to see how many 'interesteds' we get and pursue my resources about starting a club.

Yvonne Parham
850-424-5518

**Yarmap** · 02-25-2010, 02:38 PM

How about some Boogie Woogie.

**ga2flagal** · 02-25-2010, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by Yarmap

How about some Boogie Woogie.

Love the video and can't do better than Boogie Woogie to watch and listen. Believe the young couple was jitter-bugging (a little lindy hop in there too.) Way too fast for me at my age!

I believe the person who participates in life rather than viewing it is certainly NOT wasting their time. Hope to find like minds who enjoy dancing. Thank you SOWAL and Kurt for allowing me the opportunity to post.

Yvonne Parham
ms_y@cox.net

**rblessed1031** · 02-25-2010, 03:10 PM

We would love to be a part - well I would and my husband will come along and probably complain a majority of the time, but I will be oblivious to him and have fun anyway!!! Keep us in mind.

**desertbluff** · 02-27-2010, 02:15 PM

We will be renting a home in Seacrest for 5 weeks starting in late April and would be interested in attending dances while we're there. We're ballroom dancers but would love to come to do just swing (we do East Coast Swing only). Will you post the time and location when you get it all worked out?

**ga2flagal** · 02-27-2010, 03:55 PM

So glad to see we do have some people interested in dancing. I will search for a place that will welcome our style of dancing. It will probably be more difficult during the season but we won't know until we look! If anyone knows of a good place that would have an open ear to us, please let me know. Thanks again. Can't wait to meet some new dancin' friends! Have a great, if cool, weekend! Y