Dance

Clogging and Shagging

The General Assembly of 2005 adopted Clogging as the official folk dance, and Shagging as the official popular dance.

Session Laws, 2005, c. 218

Clogging (the name of which derives from the Gaelic word for "time") is the name of a distinctive dance style which originated in the Appalachian mountains. Settlers from Northern and Western Europe (such as Holland, Germany, and the British Isles) brought their respective folk dance traditions to the colonies, which were further shaped by Native American and African American dance influences. These influences all combined and evolved into a percussive "foot-tapping" style of dance now known as Clogging. In the 1920's, Bascom Lamar Lunsford added team clogging to the competitions held at his annual Mountain Dance and Folk Festival in Asheville, thus helping to establish Clogging as a significant part of Appalachian cultural heritage.

The Shag is of much more recent origin, being a type of swing dance that developed in the 1930's and 40's. Shagging, combining nimble footwork with upbeat rhythm and blues (known as Beach music) originated at open air beach parties on the North and South Carolina coasts, and is also the official dance for the State of South Carolina.