Many older couples enjoy dancing together. But not all of them have the fancy footwork of Charles Womble and Jackie McGee.
The couple took the floor at the Grand Nationals in Masters Division to perform the shag, a dance that arose from their home region of South Carolina.
And the two of them danced well enough to do Myrtle Beach proud, with footwork that most couples just can’t do.
The shag was a dance that originated in the 1940s as a way of dancing in the surf to beach party music.
It’s not formal, but it’s quick and complex, a remnant of countless parties along the Carolina coast.
Charlie and Jackie performed it with grace and ease.
Before they began, they exchanged a quick hug. Then they leaped into the dance.
It’s amazing to watch how easily they turn, glide, dip, and twirl.
They move together so effortlessly that it makes you want to learn the dance yourself. Although it would be hard to outperform these two.
This is a couple who have been dancing together since 1981 winning over 300 competitions. They even went undefeated for 12 years straight.
They amazed the audience, which got to watch them live. However, people online just couldn’t get enough either.
“I have watched a lot of couples doing the Shag but this is the best of them all. Their moves are so effortless and smooth,” wrote one commenter. “They just glide across the dance floor together and need I add how they complement each other as well.”
The other wonderful thing is seeing how much they enjoy dancing together.
The couple just keeps smiling at one another and silently communicating their moves with their eyes. It’s one thing to watch a great dance performance, but it’s another thing entirely to watch two people who just love to dance together.
“Always love to see the state dance and really enjoy when both partners really get into enjoying the full motion…all out just having fun with it,” wrote another commenter.
Their moves go from fun and energetic to intimate and sultry, but they own the dance the entire time.
It’s easy to picture this dance being done on the beaches of their hometown, North Myrtle Beach.
The audience can’t stop cheering for them, and even dancing along in their seats.
The music is infectious and the dance is so fun and fluid that it’s hard not to start tapping your feet.
Unsurprisingly, the couple took home first place in the competition.
It’s not hard to see why. With their smooth moves and their complete joy in the music and one another, they captured the audience and took command of the dance floor.
McGee and Womble have been dancing the shag together for almost 40 years.
They’ve been in hundreds of competitions and are in the Swing Dance Hall of Fame. The National Shag Dance Championship trophy is known as the Charlie and Jackie. Meanwhile, the couple is considered ambassadors for the dance style, helping to keep it alive as an important cultural and artistic style.
Watch their incredible footwork in the video below, they are a delight!
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