Collegiate shag

The Collegiate Shag is a partner dance of African-American origin and is a part of the Swing genre of vernacular dances. The dance was originally known as “The Shag” and the term “Collegiate” was later attached to the dance as a descriptor as the Shag was widely popular among college-age youths.  Originally, the Collegiate Shag was danced to the upbeat Swing & Jazz music of the 1930s & 1940s.  In modern times, the Shag is often danced to 50s Rhythm and Blues, Rockabilly, and Doo-Wop, as well.

Beaches & Balboa both start with b!

The clip below features young dancers from Southern California dancing at Venice Beach in September of 1938.  While not quite the original or "Pure" Balboa of the 1920s, this compilation is a great representation of the stylings and movements that we call "Balboa" (and "Collegiate Shag") today. 

"Bobby" does too!

The modern Balboa community is filled with passionate dancers and amateur historians, but perhaps none more important than Robert White of Swungover.com.  Not only is he a national champion Balboa dancer in his own right, Robert has explored the history of Balboa (and Swing dancing, generally) and put together a variety of articles, videos, and essays on his website.  If you'd like to get deeper into the history of Balboa and Swing, we highly recommend you purchase his book and other items at his Swungover store.

And then, check out his dancing with partner Annabel Truesdell in this award-winning dance from the California Balboa Classic event in 2020.  

But Not for them...

The Balboa "revival" of the 90s & 00s shares similar characteristics to that of the original "revival" of the Lindy Hop in its birthplace of New York.  In the early 1980s, a renewed interest in Lindy Hop was fueled by original Harlem dancers from the '30s & '40s, most importantly Al Minns and Leon James (followed shortly after by Frankie Manning and Norma Miller). The spark for the boom in popularity that Balboa would see in the 2000s was carried by the original Southern California dancers, who continued to regularly meet and social dance over the decades.  

Below is a short clip of four of the most important "old-school" Balboa dancers of the modern era. The LA Swing Dancers featured are Willie Desatoff, Ann Mills, Hal Takier, and Marge Takier.  All four of these dancers directly inspired many of the most respected Balboa dancers today.

Boy that looks fast!

Right?!  And if you think that's fast, check out SwingDanceVegas Academy favorites, Mickey Fortanasce & Kelly Arsenault, light the floor on fire.

Better them than me!

While Balboa is most often associated a fast-paced dance, a more "casual" (as Bart Bartolo might say while grabbing your wrist) tempo has been gaining popularity.  "Slow Balboa" (or "Slow Bal") is a modern variation of vintage dance basics like Dean Raftery's slower, triple-stepped Balboa and the Laminu.

Below, Mickey and Anna-Maria, showcase the beauty and grace of Slow Bal.

Benefits of Balboa

One of the great benefits of learning to dance the Balboa today is that you'll have the techniques to move as fast or as slow you'd like.  And while this partner dance is certainly one of the more challenging to pick up initially, the joy and bliss that comes with moving smoothly though time and rhythm is worth the effort.  

Plus, we here at SwingDanceVegas Academy will make sure you're equipped with the best toolkit to succeed in our classes and on the social dance floor.  Visit our Facebook page to find out more details about our Balboa class offerings and in the meantime, enjoy this overview of the basic steps by Vegas-born dancer Heather Ballew, and her partner here, Javier Johnson.

Bonus bal!

Don't forget, Balboa is for everyone, of any age and disposition.  If you don't believe us, check out Hal Takier.  The first clip is him dancing 1943 (Bal-Swing, as well as other prominent LA-styled variations of Lindy Hop, Shag, & Charleston) with his then-wife, Betty Takier.  The second clip is Hal (with Marge Takier) 45 years later.

Before you go...

This dance has come a long way from its origins from the ballrooms off the coast of Newport Beach in the 1930s to its prominence on dance floors all over the world today.  With a little effort (and a lot of money), you could probably spend every weekend at a Balboa-centric dance event somewhere on Earth.  Events like: