Learn the BASIC shag steps from the video link below and
come to DanceSport on Wednesdays to practice and learn more!
CLICK HERE: Basic Shag Steps for Women
Basic Shag Steps for Men
come to DanceSport on Wednesdays to practice and learn more!
CLICK HERE: Basic Shag Steps for Women
Basic Shag Steps for Men
VIRGINIA BEACH SHAG CLUB DANCE INSTRUCTORS
We're very grateful for our VBSC dance instructors and their willingness to come to The Royal Courtyard early each Wednesday evening to share their expertise. We invite all VBSC members and visitors to take advantage of these shag and line dance lessons. Whether you're a "seasoned" dancer or a novice "first-timer," VBSC dance lessons are FUN!
We'd like you to get to know some of them a little better by featuring them in our Dance Instructor Spotlight!
Be sure to PAGE DOWN to see more instructor bio and dance videos!!!
We'd like you to get to know some of them a little better by featuring them in our Dance Instructor Spotlight!
Be sure to PAGE DOWN to see more instructor bio and dance videos!!!
Jack and Lynn Witzenfeld
Their love for Carolina Shag began in the summer of 2015 after taking the beginner basic lessons from Ron and Linda Bessent. They wound up taking the beginner class a total of three times to reinforce the fundamentals of the dance. For Lynn, dancing came naturally, and she always followed Ron’s two rules in class. That was to look good and have fun…Jack had the fun part down from day one. They had been dancing for about eight months when they began to take private lessons from Jan Weakley. This further advanced their skills and got them to want to learn more.
Beginning in 2017, Jack joined the board and since then, they’ve become more involved both on the dance floor and in the workings of the club. Jack expressed an interest in teaching the beginner class to Dance Chair, Ron Bessent, three years ago and they began teaching under Ron’s guidance. Jack had d vision of teaching the beginner Carolina Shag at the Virginia Beach Recreation Centers to introduce our dance to a widely varied audience with the hope that these students would funnel into our club. In 2022, Lynn and Jack began assisting Ron and Linda Bessent at the Kempsville Recreation Center. Since then, they alternate the classes with the Bessents, each teaching six-week classes twice a year. They have also taught the beginner class at the Virginia Beach Shag Club and have taught beyond basic and intermediate steps at the club when called upon.
They are always looking for an opportunity to introduce Carolina Shag to others. They have organized several dances in the community where they live and taught the basic step prior to each dance. Additionally, they put together several dances at multiple assisted living centers in the area where they gave exhibitions of the shag and then danced with the residents.
Though they can teach intermediate steps, they enjoy taking new students and watching them learn the beginner steps while having fun. They like to encourage these new students and take them from the beginner class to becoming productive members of the Virginia Beach Shag Club.
In 2023, Jack’s contributions for his efforts to promote the shag were recognized by his induction into the Virginia Shaggers Hall of Fame.
Their love for Carolina Shag began in the summer of 2015 after taking the beginner basic lessons from Ron and Linda Bessent. They wound up taking the beginner class a total of three times to reinforce the fundamentals of the dance. For Lynn, dancing came naturally, and she always followed Ron’s two rules in class. That was to look good and have fun…Jack had the fun part down from day one. They had been dancing for about eight months when they began to take private lessons from Jan Weakley. This further advanced their skills and got them to want to learn more.
Beginning in 2017, Jack joined the board and since then, they’ve become more involved both on the dance floor and in the workings of the club. Jack expressed an interest in teaching the beginner class to Dance Chair, Ron Bessent, three years ago and they began teaching under Ron’s guidance. Jack had d vision of teaching the beginner Carolina Shag at the Virginia Beach Recreation Centers to introduce our dance to a widely varied audience with the hope that these students would funnel into our club. In 2022, Lynn and Jack began assisting Ron and Linda Bessent at the Kempsville Recreation Center. Since then, they alternate the classes with the Bessents, each teaching six-week classes twice a year. They have also taught the beginner class at the Virginia Beach Shag Club and have taught beyond basic and intermediate steps at the club when called upon.
They are always looking for an opportunity to introduce Carolina Shag to others. They have organized several dances in the community where they live and taught the basic step prior to each dance. Additionally, they put together several dances at multiple assisted living centers in the area where they gave exhibitions of the shag and then danced with the residents.
Though they can teach intermediate steps, they enjoy taking new students and watching them learn the beginner steps while having fun. They like to encourage these new students and take them from the beginner class to becoming productive members of the Virginia Beach Shag Club.
In 2023, Jack’s contributions for his efforts to promote the shag were recognized by his induction into the Virginia Shaggers Hall of Fame.
Diane Underhill:
Does life sometimes seem too routine or full of crises? Being able to find joy in dancing, in feeling the music, and in making new friends offers wonderful alternatives. Diane says that the dance floor is her “happy place.” Stress is gone and nothing matters but the freedom to enjoy the music and move your feet.
After having taught high school English for three decades, teaching writing at Tidewater Community College, and training teachers for six years through Old Dominion University, she has not lost her love for teaching. Diane has been teaching beginner shag for several years, and she teaches both lead and follow steps. When the intermediate instructors need a fill-in partner, she is happy to help. Diane maintains that she finds great satisfaction when she is able to see the results of helping beginner shaggers especially when they find enjoyment in taking the dance to the social floor. “I can watch them improve their skills, and I don’t have to mark one essay.” Diane has served on the VBSC Board since 2010 when she was elected as Secretary. She then served as Publicity Chair for five years, as Dance Chairperson for two years and is again serving on the Executive Board.
Does life sometimes seem too routine or full of crises? Being able to find joy in dancing, in feeling the music, and in making new friends offers wonderful alternatives. Diane says that the dance floor is her “happy place.” Stress is gone and nothing matters but the freedom to enjoy the music and move your feet.
After having taught high school English for three decades, teaching writing at Tidewater Community College, and training teachers for six years through Old Dominion University, she has not lost her love for teaching. Diane has been teaching beginner shag for several years, and she teaches both lead and follow steps. When the intermediate instructors need a fill-in partner, she is happy to help. Diane maintains that she finds great satisfaction when she is able to see the results of helping beginner shaggers especially when they find enjoyment in taking the dance to the social floor. “I can watch them improve their skills, and I don’t have to mark one essay.” Diane has served on the VBSC Board since 2010 when she was elected as Secretary. She then served as Publicity Chair for five years, as Dance Chairperson for two years and is again serving on the Executive Board.
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Being a Carolina Girl from Kannapolis, N.C., Margie has been dancing since her teen years where she enjoyed shaggin’ at local sock hops. Vacationing at Myrtle Beach each summer exposed her to more shaggin’ fun. Even during the time while pursuing her career, Margie continued to learn dance steps. She acquired a Bachelor’s Degree (ECU) and a Master’s Degree (ODU) in Speech Language Pathology. |
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When employed by Portsmouth Public Schools, she became Department Head of Speech-Hearing-Vision Services. Although now retired, Margie maintains her licensure and supports the community by serving on the Special Education Advisory Board and on the Autism Team Consultant for Portsmouth Public Schools. During her busy career, Margie continued to develop her dance experience and has a background in dancing the two-step, hustle, waltz and swing dance.
Margie says that when she first decided to try line dancing, she was single, and the big attraction was that she did not need a partner! While developing her skill in learning and teaching line dancing, it became a means of “stress release”. Her job kept her very busy supervising 32 speech, hearing and vision staff members which could often become intense while coordinating the desires of staff, administrators, and parents. Soon she began to look forward to dancing, and line dancing soon became very therapeutic.
Not only did Margie find joy in line dancing, she began shaggin’ again when she met Sonny twenty years ago. They married and Carolina Shag has regained a special place in her heart and life. Their shared love of dancing was recognized in 2014, when Sonny and Margie were inducted into the Virginia Shaggers Hall of Fame.
In June 2015, Faye Ratcliff asked Margie to teach line dance for VBSC. She eagerly accepted. She had already been line dancing on Monday and Friday nights at a Moose Club where she continues to learn new line dances to share. As a result, she has fine-tuned her teaching abilities to an art.
Because line dancing does not require a partner, it is especially appealing to both the ladies and the gentlemen who like to join a large group of dancers out on the floor. Each dancer is learning or already has learned to follow a series of step sequences choreographed to flow with the specific music and song. It also enables the dancer to become familiar with many basic step sequences such as kick, shuffle, rock recover, bump, cha-cha, pivot turn, slide, scuff, the Charleston, coaster-step, sailor step, lock step, and the vine. These learned steps also help dancers in many partner dance moves.
Margie’s strategy for teaching line dances includes walking through each step sequence slowly, repeating as often as is needed, and working up to the speed of the actual music. She generally chooses line dances which are easy and fun to learn, but she may occasionally introduce a more challenging dance. She is remarkable in her multitasking technique while teaching the steps, calling the steps, counting the beats of music and interjecting humor into the lesson so that the experience is relaxed and fun. She welcomes feedback from her line dancers regarding their specific needs and requests. Practice and repetition are important, and she is willing to review as often as necessary for the dancers to feel comfortable on the dance floor. She enjoys great satisfaction when someone comes to her and says, “I finally got it” and “Please do this one again next week!” Margie strives to give clear instructions and encourages dancers to feel comfortable asking questions or for requesting extra help. She often tells them, “Be patient with yourself!” She wants her students to prove to themselves that they don’t have “two left feet” after all!
Margie remarks that she often sees attendees on sidelines watching, or she observes them beside a table trying to follow the lesson. She hopes they will eventually join the other students on the dance floor!
After line-dancing for twenty-four years Margie easily knows 100+ line-dances. If music is playing, she wants to be dancing! She has been invited as Guest Line Dance Instructor for Outer Banks Shag Club NYE Gala 2016, 2017 & 2018 and Shaggers @ Heart 2016, 2017 & 2018.
Margie McRae has been a member of the VBSC Shag Club for twenty years. She was the 2017 Chair of Mix and Mingle, is the 2018 Chair of Mix and Mingle, and the newly elected Nominating Chair for 2018.
The energy and enthusiasm this unique dance instructor possesses is contagious; the end result will be that those who take Margie’s lessons will be smiling and moving smoothly through the line dance.
Margie says that when she first decided to try line dancing, she was single, and the big attraction was that she did not need a partner! While developing her skill in learning and teaching line dancing, it became a means of “stress release”. Her job kept her very busy supervising 32 speech, hearing and vision staff members which could often become intense while coordinating the desires of staff, administrators, and parents. Soon she began to look forward to dancing, and line dancing soon became very therapeutic.
Not only did Margie find joy in line dancing, she began shaggin’ again when she met Sonny twenty years ago. They married and Carolina Shag has regained a special place in her heart and life. Their shared love of dancing was recognized in 2014, when Sonny and Margie were inducted into the Virginia Shaggers Hall of Fame.
In June 2015, Faye Ratcliff asked Margie to teach line dance for VBSC. She eagerly accepted. She had already been line dancing on Monday and Friday nights at a Moose Club where she continues to learn new line dances to share. As a result, she has fine-tuned her teaching abilities to an art.
Because line dancing does not require a partner, it is especially appealing to both the ladies and the gentlemen who like to join a large group of dancers out on the floor. Each dancer is learning or already has learned to follow a series of step sequences choreographed to flow with the specific music and song. It also enables the dancer to become familiar with many basic step sequences such as kick, shuffle, rock recover, bump, cha-cha, pivot turn, slide, scuff, the Charleston, coaster-step, sailor step, lock step, and the vine. These learned steps also help dancers in many partner dance moves.
Margie’s strategy for teaching line dances includes walking through each step sequence slowly, repeating as often as is needed, and working up to the speed of the actual music. She generally chooses line dances which are easy and fun to learn, but she may occasionally introduce a more challenging dance. She is remarkable in her multitasking technique while teaching the steps, calling the steps, counting the beats of music and interjecting humor into the lesson so that the experience is relaxed and fun. She welcomes feedback from her line dancers regarding their specific needs and requests. Practice and repetition are important, and she is willing to review as often as necessary for the dancers to feel comfortable on the dance floor. She enjoys great satisfaction when someone comes to her and says, “I finally got it” and “Please do this one again next week!” Margie strives to give clear instructions and encourages dancers to feel comfortable asking questions or for requesting extra help. She often tells them, “Be patient with yourself!” She wants her students to prove to themselves that they don’t have “two left feet” after all!
Margie remarks that she often sees attendees on sidelines watching, or she observes them beside a table trying to follow the lesson. She hopes they will eventually join the other students on the dance floor!
After line-dancing for twenty-four years Margie easily knows 100+ line-dances. If music is playing, she wants to be dancing! She has been invited as Guest Line Dance Instructor for Outer Banks Shag Club NYE Gala 2016, 2017 & 2018 and Shaggers @ Heart 2016, 2017 & 2018.
Margie McRae has been a member of the VBSC Shag Club for twenty years. She was the 2017 Chair of Mix and Mingle, is the 2018 Chair of Mix and Mingle, and the newly elected Nominating Chair for 2018.
The energy and enthusiasm this unique dance instructor possesses is contagious; the end result will be that those who take Margie’s lessons will be smiling and moving smoothly through the line dance.
Line Dancers March 9, 2022
Wagon Wheel Video, June 22, 2022
Jan Weakley and Alan Michaelis demonstrate the Fancy Belly Roll