Shag-Mania!
Lance Benishek: The Vintage Shag Dance Authority
By Denise Steele
Appeared in the 9/99 Crystal Ballroom Newsletter
Often times I hear dancers complain that today's swing bands are playing music that is just too fast to dance to. The Shag, a vintage swing dance of the 1930s, is sweeping the nation because it is perfect for the faster tempos of today. Shag is a study in contrast: Dancers hold themselves upright and still on top, but dazzle the eye with simple yet showy footwork below. Shag is becoming so popular because it is great for conserving energy during faster tempos, and when combined with the Lindy Hop it is a great way to pace yourself and catch your breath. While Shag is relatively new to a lot of young dancers, Lance Benishek has been teaching it for years and is the top authority on this and many vintage swing dances. He visits Portland at the end of the month to share his classic moves.
Walking into Lance's home is like walking into a dance museum. The walls are covered with song sheet covers from the early 1900s through the 1930s, celebrating a history of dance with titles such as the "Charleston," "Truckin'," the "Varsity Drag," the "Big Apple," and on and on. There are piles of antique dance memorabilia everywhere, stacks and stacks of newspaper articles he has copied in his research, and then there's his collection of 78s. I never really appreciated 78s until I spent a very magical evening with Lance and Betty Wood after the workshop I attended in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1995. It featured Frankie Manning - the father of swing dance, and Betty Wood - the best original vintage Shag dancer of 1936.
Although Lance was exhausted from his organizational duties after the workshop, he came alive again as the three of us sat around his living room talking, sharing stories and dancing. Early in the evening I was marveling at his 78 collection. With a twinkle of sheer childlike delight he asked me if I had ever heard 78s on an original 78 player. It turns out that he had found a 78 phonograph in mint condition, and he proceeded to show me the remarkable qualities of how the construction and design virtually eliminated the "scratchy" background noise and poured forth pure enchantment. Seated on the floor, Lance puckishly perused his extensive collection pulling out songs he thought would either delight us or stump us in our knowledge. Of course Betty gave him a good run for his money, and I, well, I was pretty useless... but what an amazing education I received!
Although they are my friends, I couldn't help but be aware of what a privilege it was to watch Betty and Lance dance the Shag to a flawless 78 of the captivating song "Sing Sing Sing." All evening long he would say, "Hey Betty, do you remember this one?" and pull out some song I had only heard of, like "The Varsity Drag," or "The Collegiate Shag" and proceed to grab Betty and dance a few bars. Occasionally he would stop and run to get some appropriate costume prop to complete the moment, like an authentic raccoon coat and straw hat. "All you need now is one of those bullhorns, you know, like the cheer leaders use," I said, not expecting him to run into the other room and come back with one!
Lance had many adventurous stories about how he acquired this or that treasure, like the time he spent his last $3 for some rare record and went hungry for the rest of the week. Most memorable were the stories about him finding Betty Wood, one of the best original Shag dancers of 1936. Lance researched and trained with Betty and many of the still-living Shag dancers of the era, developing a broad array of styles and steps and making him the top authority in the nation and in the world.
Having spent his life researching and learning vintage American dances, Lance is a wealth of information and is nationally and internationally recognized as the authority in American historic dance.
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