Dancer Info, Rules & Entry Forms
PDF Forms (Entry Form, Song List, & Advertising)
Click on the following links to view PDF files with contestant entry forms, NSDC music preservation list, and NSDC program advertising form.
**Deadline for All Division applications (except Masters) is December 28th, 2017.
***Deadline for Masters Division applications is November 30, 2017
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Divisions:
PROFESSIONAL DIVISION:
Any person who has danced in a Professional Shag contest, specifically in the Competitive Shaggers Association. Masters and Seniors can enter this division. Must be 21.
NON-PROFESSIONAL DIVISION:
No professional competitors or winners of Junior Overall. Novice, amateur and beginners who are 21 years of age and older and have never danced in any professional Shag contest. Dancers who have previously danced in the NSDC Senior, Masters, or Pro divisions are ineligible to compete in the Non-Pro division.
MASTERS DIVISION (Invitational):
The female must be at least 49 years of age and the male 50 years of age, but with a total of at least 100 years combined. These ages must be reached by the last night of the finals in March. No novices or amateurs in this category. One dancer must be a Hall of Fame member. They will be judged by Hall of Fame Dancers. Judged on smoothness, togetherness and showmanship.
SENIOR DIVISION
The female must be at least 49 years of age and the male must be at least 50 years of age by the last day of finals. Only pro dancers are eligible in this division.
JUNIOR DIVISION I:
14 years and under.
JUNIOR DIVISION II:
15-20 years of age. Anyone who wins Junior Overall will be ineligible to dance in the Non-Pro Division.
COLLEGIATE DIVISION
Must be attending the college you are representing as of the date of the contest & must have never competed in a sanctioned shag contest
*All age requirements by the last night of the finals in March.
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Judging:
Categories (except Masters):
Smoothness – Degree of Difficulty – Togetherness – Execution – Repertoire
Song time limit is 3 minutes max for all Divisions
Masters Categories:
Smoothness – Togetherness – Style – Showmanship
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Music Preservation List
(**Only one couple can use each record – an asterisk denotes that the record has already been claimed by a couple for their dance. It will be updated monthly through December and weekly starting in January** Time limit is 3 minutes max):
1.) A Little Bit Of Soap / The Jarmels
2.) I Ain’t Getting Caught / The Five Royales
3.) Annie Had A Baby / Hank Ballard & The Midnighters *
4.) At Last / Tony Martin
5.) Baby Workout / Jackie Wilson
6.) Be Fair / The Pipes
7.) Beg And Steal / Strangers
8.) Blue Moon / Nat King Cole
9.) Boat Dock / Ray Sharpe
10.) Boogie Woogie King / Jimmy Liggins
11.) Boot Em Up / Du Droppers
12.) Bring The Money Home / The Orioles
13.) Broken Hart / The Fiestas
14.) Bump On A Log / Lula Reed
15.) Canadian Sunset / Mills Brothers
16.) Chicken Shack Boogie / Amos Milburn
17.) Chonnie-On Chon / James Brown *
18.) Club Savoy / Rockin Louie and the Mamma *
19.) Come Back My Love / The Wrenns
20.) Come Go With Me / The Federals
21.) Could It Be You / The Four Tops
22.) Count Me Out / Billy Stewart
23.) Corrina Corrina / Big Joe Turner
24.) Crazy, Crazy, Crazy / The Five Royals
25.) Crazy Mixed Up World / Little Walter
26.) Cry To Me / Solomon Burke
27.) Dear Lover / Mary Wells
28.) Didn’t I Tell You / Tommy Hunt
29.) Dollar Down / Louis Jordan
30.) Don’t Be Angry / Nappy Brown
31.) Don’t Cry On My Shoulder / Sam Cooke
32.) Don’t Leave Me Fannie / Royal Jokers
33.) Don’t You Lie To Me / B.B. King *
34.) Donut And A Dream / Mills Brothers
35.) Double Crossin Baby / The Robins
36.) Dream / Five Keys
37.) Drinkin’ Wine (Spodee Odee) / Larry Dale *
38.) Drip Drop / Drifters
39.) Drive Daddy Drive / Little Sylvia *
40.) Drive It Home / Clovers *
41.) Exactly Like You / Aretha Franklin
42.) Fare Thee Well / Hollywood Flames
43.) Favor For A Girl With A Lovesick Heart / Brenda Halloway
44.) Feel So Good / Shirley and Lee
45.) Flaming Love / The Gardenias
46.) Flamingo / Earl Bostic
47.) Fine Brown Frame / Lou Rawls and Diane Reeves
48.) Finger Poppin’ Time / Hank Ballard and The Midnighters
49.) Five, Ten, Fifteen Hours (5-10-15) / Ruth Brown
50.) Fools Rush In / Etta James
51.) Get With It / The Flamingos
52.) Give Me You / Billy Ward and The Dominoes
53.) Good Lovin / The Clovers
54.) Good Rockin / Jr. Walker
55.) Green Eyes / The Ravens
56.) Hard Hearted Woman / Eddie Burns
57.) Have Mercy Baby / Dominoes
58.) Heartbeat / the Chords
59.) Heartbreak (It’s Hurtin Me) / Little Willie John *
60.) Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel / Tavares
61.) Hey Bartender / Floyd Dixon *
62.) Hey Girl / Lucky Carmichael
63.) Hey Senorita / The Penguins
64.) High Blood Pressure / Huey Piano Smith and The Clowns
65.) Hole In The Wall / Floyd Dixon
66.) Honey Hush / Big Joe Turner
67.) Honky Tonky / The Drifters
68.) House Party / Amos Milburn
69.) How Blind Can You Be / Goldie Boots and the Falcons
70.) I Ain’t Drunk / Jimmy Liggins
71.) I Cry / The Cadets
72.) I Feel That Old Feeling Coming On / James Brown
73.) I Get Weak / Drivers
74.) I Hear a Rhapsody / Earl Bostic
75.) I Just Want To Love You / Ivory Joe Hunter
76.) I Knew I’d Fall In Love / The Penguins
77.) I Know It’s Hard But It’s Fair / The Five Royals
78.) I Like It Like That / The Five Royals
79.) I Used To Cry Mercy Mercy / The Lamplighters
80.) I Want A Love I Can See / The Temptations
81.) I Wanna Know / Lloyd Sims
82.) I’d Be Satisfired / Dominoes
83.) If I Could Hold You / Melvin Moore
84.) If You Ain’t Lovin’ / Bullmoose Jackson
85.) I’m Tore Up / Billy Gayles
86.) In The Morning Time / Clovers
87.) It Won’t Be This Way (Always) / The King Pins
88.) It’s a Doggone Crying Shame / Ivory Joe Hunter
89.) Judgement Day / Floyd Dixon
90.) Just A Gigolo / Louis Prima and Keely Smith
91.) Just One Look / Doris Troy
92.) Just To Say Hello / Jesse Belvin
93.) La La / Fats Domino
94.) Lay It On The Line / The Dominoes
95.) Leave Me Alone / Baby Washington
96.) Let Me Go Home Whiskey / Leroy Little
97.) Let the Good Times Roll / Louis Jordan
98.) Let’s Have A Party / Amos Milburn
99.) Little Queenie / Chuck Berry *
100.) Lonely Teardrops / Jackie Wilson
101.) Look What You Do To Me / Snooky Pryor
102.) Love Contest / Ruth Brown
103.) Love Of My Life / The Quails
104.) Loveable Lillie / Lillian Leach and The Mellows
105.) Lovers Prayer / Vernon Greene & The Medallions
106.) Make It Be Me / The Flares
107.) Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean / Ruth Brown
108.) May I / Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs
109.) Money / Clifford Curry & The Five Pennies (Savoy Label)
110.) Morning, Noon and Night / Joe Turner
111.) Move Me Baby / Jimmy Witherspoon
112.) Move On Drifter / Baby Washington
113.) Mr. Big Wheel / Jimmy T-99 Nelson
114.) My Baby Just Cares For Me / Nina Simone *
115.) My Buddy Done Stole My Chippee / The Playboys
116.) My Girl Ivy / Jimmy Witherspoon & The Quintones
117.) My One and Only Dream / Pastels
118.) Night and Day / Earl Bostic *
119.) Nip Sip / The Clovers
120.) No Sweet Lovin’ / The Drifters *
121.) Not Going To Cry / The Five Royals
122.) Oh, What A Thrill / Rock Pile
123.) On The Street Where You Live / The Drifters
124.) One Mint Julep / The Clovers
125.) One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer / Amos Milburn
126.) Ooky Ook / The Penguins
127.) Outside Of Paradise / Ray O Vacs
128.) Over The Rainbow / The Checkers
129.) Please Don’t Go / Floyd Dixon
130.) Poison Ivy / Willie Mabon
131.) Pony Tail / T-Bone Walker
132.) Prince or Pauper / Frankie Lymon
133.) Rock and Roll Wedding / Hank Ballard and The Midnighters
134.) Rock, Granny, Roll / Hank Ballard and The Midnighters
135.) Rockin’ All The Time / Roy Brown
136.) Rub A Little Boogie / Champion Jack Dupree
137.) Sadie My Lady / The Drifters
138.) Satellite Baby / Roosevelt Sykes
139.) Savoy Boogie / Jimmy McCracklin
140.) Say When / The Four Tunes
141.) September In The Rain / Brenda Lee
142.) September In The Rain / Dinah Washington
143.) Sexy Ways / Hank Ballard and The Midnighters
144.) Shake ‘Em Up Baby / Roy Brown
145.) Shake, Rattle and Roll / Joe Turner
146.) Shame on Me / The Ramblers
147.) Sh-Boom / Chords
148.) She Felt Too Good / Jimmy McCracklin
149.) Shut Your Mouth/ B.B. King
150.) Sick and Tired / Fats Domino
151.) Sick and Tired / LuLa Reed
152.) Six To Eight / Sticks McGhee *
153.) Sixty Minute Main / Billy Ward and The Dominoes
154.) Slow Boat To China / Ronnie Dove
155.) Some Kind Of Wonderful / The Drifters *
156.) Somebody Touched Me / Ruth Brown
157.) Stagger Lee / Lloyd Price
158.) Stand By Me / Ben E. King *
159.) Stand By Me / Guitar Slim
160.) Stop The Pain / Titus Turner
161.) Street Walking Woman / T-Bone Walker
162.) Sweet Sue / Big Joe Turner
163.) Ta Ta / Clyde McPhatter
164.) Take Me Where You Go / Elmore James
165.) Takin’ Care of Business / Freddy King
166.) Tears Keep Tumbling Down / Ruth Brown
167.) Thank You John / Willie Tee
168.) That Woman / Hank Ballard
169.) That’s How I Feel Without You / Sonny Til & Edna McGriff
170.) That’s What You’re Doing to Me / Five Keys
171.) The Deacon Moves In / Little Esther & The Dominoes
172.) The Way You Look Tonight / The Jarmels
173.) There Goes My Baby / The Drifters
174.) There’s No Tomorrow / The Clovers
175.) Think / The Five Royals
176.) 39 – 21 – 40 Shape / The Showmen
177.) This Heart Is Mine / Tony Clarke
178.) Time Makes You Change / Dells
179.) Tonight and Forever / The Whirlers
180.) Too Late / Five Keys
181.) Too Much Lovin’ / The Five Royals
182.) Tower Of Strength / Gloria Lynne
183.) True Fine Mama / Little Richard *
184.) Try / The Miller Brothers (1958 Mercury Label)
185.) Try A Little Tenderness (Sax Instrumental) / Willis Gatortail Jackson
186.) Tune Up / Jr. Walker *
187.) Two Hearts / Otis Williams and The Charms *
188.) Walkin’ My Baby Back Home / Nat King Cole
189.) Wee Baby Blues / Joe Turner
190.) What A Difference A Day Makes / Esther Phillips
191.) What About Your Daughter / J. B. Lenoir
192.) What Am I Gonna Do / Chuck Jackson
193.) What To Do / The Drifters
194.) Whatever You Want / Jerry Butler
195.) When I Get Lucky / Floyd Dixon
196.) When Love Is New / Arthur Prysock
197.) White Cliffs of Dover / The Checkers
198.) White Port Lemon Juice / Bel Aires
199.) Why Don’t Cha Stop It / Buddy and Ella Johnson
200.) Witchcraft / Jesse Belvin
201.) Woe Is Me / The Cadillacs
202.) You / Frankie Lymon
203.) You Never Had It So Good / The Checkers
204.) Young and In Love / Ruby & The Romantics
205.) Your Cash Ain’t Nothin’ But Trash / The Clovers
206.) Your Daddy’s Doggin’ Around / Todd Rhodes *
207.) You’re In Love / Five Vets
208.) You’re The One / 5 Keys
209.) You’re The Boss / Jimmy Ricks & Lavern Baker
210.) Zing Went The Strings / The Coasters
211. One Step Ahead – Aretha Franklin
212. Can’t Wait To See My Baby’s Face – Baby Washington
213. Leave Me Alone – Baby Washington
214. Pushin’ A Good Thing – Barbara Lewis
215. Will You Still Love Me – Ben E. King *
216. Let Your Tears Fall Baby – Big Mama Thorton
217. Count Me Out – Billy Stewart
218. Harlem Shuffle – Bob & Earl
219. Need Someone To Love Me – Brownie McGhee
220. If You Ain’t Lovin – Bullmoose Jackson *
221. Stop Anything I’m Doing – Clyde McPhatter
222. Time Makes You Change – Dells
223. Money Tree – Detroit Junior
224. Time – Doris Troy
225. Got To Get Myself A Woman – Drifters
226. Some Kind of Wonderful – Drifters
227. I Get Weak – Drivers
228. Where or When – Earl Bostic *
229. Mean To Me – Ella Fitzgerald *
230. I Was A Fool – Elmore James
231. Take Me Where You Go – Elmore James
232. Let Me Take You Out Tonight – Emeralds
233. Tell Me Pretty Baby – Empires
234. The Last One To Know – Fitones
235. That’s What You’re Doing To Me – Five Keys
236. She Wants To Rock – Flairs
237. Someday Someway – Flamingos
238. Prince Or Pauper – Frankie Lymon
239. I Want To Know – Gay Poppers
240. Pennies From Heaven – Georgia Carr
241. Stand By Me – Guitar Slim
242. Canadian Sunset – Hank Crawford *
243. Do What You Want To Do – Harmonica Slim
244. Whispers – Jackie Wilson
245. Don’t Let It Happen – James Brown
246. Tell Me What I Did Wrong – James Brown
247. Let’s Drop Out of Sight – Johnny Nash
248. Hey Little Girl – Larks
249. I Wanna Be – Manhattans
250. Will You Love Me – Marvin and Johnny
251. I’ll Remember You – Otis Williams & Charms
252. My One and Only Dream – Pastels
253. Working On a Groovy Thing – Patti Drew
254. I Knew I’d Fall In Love – Penguins
255. It Isn’t Right – Platters
256. Zing Goes My Heart – Ravens
257. If You Don’t Want My Love – Robert John
258. Lovin’ Machine – Rockin Louie *
259. People Are Talkin’ 55 – Rollie McGill
260. Fannie Brown Got Married – Roy Brown
261. Shakem Up Baby – Roy Brown *
262. Please Don’t Tease – Spaniels
263. Got To Have Something On The Ball – Sticks McGhee
264. Pony Tail – T Bone Walker
265. What Am I Gonna Do Without You – Temptations
266. Aw Shucks – Tiny Topsy
267. Stop The Pain – Titus Turner *
268. This Heart of Mine – Tony Clarke
269. Good Rockin Tonight – Treniers
270. The Watusi – Vibrations *
271. Walking Up A One Way Street – Willie Tee
272. Always Be In Love – XRays
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Rules:
1. Non-Pro winners upon their next nationals will dance in the Senior or Pro divisions.
2. To enter Pro or Senior division one member of the couple must have moved to Pro status. This means they may have reached Pro status
3. Records must be brought to the 4:00 p.m. Finals & Prelims meetings with N.S.D.C. form. Forms will be turned in. Contestants will dance one record from the Preservation List Thursday, one record Friday and one record on Saturday if in the final cut. Masters dance Friday & Saturday night. Length — 3 minutes each night. Prelims – Friday- 2 minute record with required steps & a 2 minute record on Saturday night for Prelim competitors and all finalist competitors. (** Only exception is the Master division where the record length will now be a minimum of 1 minute 30 seconds but not exceed three minutes)
4. Attendance at the pre-contest meeting is mandatory by at least one of the competing partners.
5. Should there not be enough qualified dancers in either Junior division then both shall become one division. The overall Junior award is given to the couple placing the highest of both divisions.
6. Masters Division — The female must be at least 49 years of age and the male at least 50 years of age by the last night of competition. Their combined age must be at least 100 years of age. Age is not the only criteria. They also must show they have “mastered” the artistry of the dance through their dancing career. One of couple composition must be an inducted member of the Shaggers Hall of Fame.
7. Each couple will be composed of one male and one female.
8. Judging for the Preliminaries and the Finals will be the National’s placement system.
9. Scoring for Finals will be cumulative for Judges’ final decision — all three dances (two for the Masters) will decide Judges’ championship placement.
10. The overall winner from Pro, Non-Pro, Juniors and Seniors Divisions will be determined by the judges ranking the divisional winner #1- #4 in preference.
11. Any contest rulings will be governed by a majority vote of the N.S.D.C. Board of Directors.
12. The entry fee is $75.00 per couple. Make checks payable to the National Shag Dance Championships.
13. Juniors must not have reached their 21st birthday by the last night of competition for Division II and not reached their 15th birthday by the last night of competition for Division I.
14. The Nationals committee reserves the right to disqualify or give a year’s probation — disallowing him/her to compete the following year (s) for exemplifying un-sportsman-like conduct.
15. The entry deadline is listed at the bottom of the application form. Application and entry fees must be in the hands of the Nationals by the deadline, not postmarked by that date. Any applications received late will be returned, no exceptions.
16. Requirement steps – Compulsory! – For 1st Round – Friday night (Prelims) and Thursday night (Finals), Masters are exempt – The following shag steps must be done by male and female at the same time:
Basic – Facing each other.
Pivot – full
Duck Walk – on one foot, the other – male and female simultaneously.
Boogie Walk – kick and boogie, boogie – male and female simultaneously.
Belly Roll – at least one complete belly roll; with male lead (his left on a 1-2
count, then 3-4 count on his right, then 5-6).
Judging auditors (2) will check off requirement steps.
For each step not performed – each judge’s placement will drop the couple one position for the first night’s score. Example: If a judge places you third and you omit the belly-roll and a pivot, you would be placed fifth on the judge’s ballot.
17. Each dancer is limited to dance in one division.
18. Senior Division – The female must be at least 49 years of age and the male must be at least 50 years of age by the last day of finals. Judged on smoothness, togetherness, repertoire, execution and degree of difficulty.
19. N.S.D.C. Board and Committee members are eligible to enter any division, but will not serve on “The Judges Selection Committee”.
20. A list of classic shag recordings is available to all Pro, Non-Pro, Seniors and Juniors to select from for their Thursday night requirements record. The list was selected by many Disc- Jockeys in order of preference #1 – #25 and the top 173 comprise the list. The list is on this website. Dancers may fax or e-mail their Thursday night letter of preference ASAP (prior to sending in their application). NO record will be danced to more than once on that night. The first faxed or e-mailed times and dates will be the couples to use the record. This is to avoid hearing the same record more than twice.
21. When a Non-Pro dancer wins his or her third C.S.A/S.P.A (combined) contest they move into the Pro Division of the Nationals even if they have not danced Pro in C.S.A or S