True southerners love a good shag – dance, that is.

This type of shag, distinct from the one that Austin Powers made popular, is a Southern tradition that’s been brought to Athens.

The Athens YMCA offers beginning and intermediate level shag lessons for singles and couples interested in learning the official state dance of South Carolina.

The classes, taught in a series of four lessons, cost $50 to $60 for singles and $100 to $125 for couples. They are held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and taught in groups of four people.

“I am just trying to make this dance known and make it available – it’s so much fun,” instructor Bonnie Hicks said.

Hicks, in her third series of classes with partner Alton Smith, is a seven-year shag veteran hoping to make the dance more popular with both Athens residents and University students.

“It’s not this generalized jitterbug that people assume,” she said. “It’s no longer your mother’s shag.”

Although Hicks says most of her regulars are empty nesters or couples in their early 30s, she has already been hard at work in converting younger age groups into shag enthusiasts.

Erin Smith, a 23-year-old Norcross resident, fell into shagging four years ago because of her dad, also Hicks’ shagging partner.

“I’ve never been one to go out and dance, but these are steps you can … practice by yourself,” Smith said.

She often travels to the Carolinas to find more young people who enjoy the dance but said it’s worth it to meet new people.

“I don’t know if young people are scared of it or don’t think it’s cool, but it’s a lot of fun,” she said.

University junior Brittney Inman said people view shag as the dance of an older generation, but it’s laid-back fun that anyone can learn.

“It’s so easy and simple – it’s literally just a couple of steps,” said Inman, a native of Charleston, SC.

She even admits she tried it at her sorority formals.

“You can improvise, add twirls, whatever,” Inman said. “You can make it as hard as you want.”

Hicks hopes the lessons continue to grow in popularity and that if nothing else, University students can enjoy the social atmosphere.

“It’s a lifestyle just as much as it is a dance,” she said. “It’s just dancing to music that has a good beat.”