Patricia Blackmon
Area of Instruction at CPCC: Shag Dance
About me: Carolina Shag is the state dance of both Carolinas. I enjoy sharing its history and passing it on to new people. Teaching at CPCC gives me this opportunity!
Career accomplishments:
- Studied dance at Columbia and Coker College
- Children’s dance: tap, ballet, Pointe, jazz, clogging, baton, hip-hop, tumbling, Jr. Shag
- Adult Dance: Belly dance for exercise and Dancercize, Carolina Shag and Line Dance
Experience in your field:
- Started dancing at age 3 and continued through high school
- Opened my own dance school in 1970 for YMCA of Camden, S.C.
- Managed Georgetown, S.C., gymnastics and dance from 1990 to 1996.
- Background in tap, ballet, Pointe, jazz, clogging, baton, belly dance for exercise and dancercize.
- Taught Carolina Shag through the city recreation departments in Camden, Sumter, Georgetown, Surfside, and Hartsville, S.C.
- Currently teach through recreation departments in Concord, Asheboro, Siler City and Harrisburg, N.C.
- Official shag instructor for Dennis Vineyards of Albemarle, N.C., The Oasis Shiners’ and The Oasis Shag Club in Charlotte, N.C.
Affiliations/Recognitions:
- President of The Society of Tarheel Shaggers
- Member of Camden/Lugoff Shag Society since 1987
- 2005 Wall of Fame Inductee For CLASS Shag Club
- Attended the very first SOS in 1980
- SOS member since 1984
- Southern Shagger Certified Instructor since 1995
- Charter member of the South Strand Shag Club
- Helped form the Hartsville, S.C. Shag club
- Featured in ETV Film (on the Shag) in Sumter, S.C.
