SHAGTIME Michael & Persephone SHIM SHAM

The Shim Sham is a vintage tap and/or line dance, the swing version thereof credited at least in part to Leonard Reed.  It is traditionally done to Tuxedo Junction or Savoy, and more recently often done to T'aint What You Do, though it can be performed to any song with 32-beat choruses. Each number here represents 8 counts of music. Right and Left are capitalized to show what foot you are using/putting weight on (rather than direction you are going)

1.    Stomp off (starting on 8 of the previous measure): Right, Left, Right, Right
2.    Stomp off (starting on 8): Left, Right, Left, Left
3.    Stomp off (starting on 8): Right, Left, Right, Right
4.    Break:  With weight on Right (8), tap Left toe behind twice (count 1,2), hold 3, hop and put Right foot behind (count &4), then hop and put Left foot behind (&5), Right then left foot goes out to the side (&6) and back in together (&7).
5.    Pushes (starting on 8): step Right, lunging to the right, twice (8,1 and 2,3), then after stepping Right the third time the Left leg brushes/kicks over and across (5,6). Step Right, Left (7,8) to finish and face left for the next set.
6.    Pushes (starting on 8): step Left, lunging left, twice (8,1 and 2,3), then after the third Left (4) your Right brushes/kicks over and across (5,6). Step Left then Right to start going right again.
7.    Pushes (starting on 8): going right, same as #5.
8.    Pushes: after Left (8) immediately brush/kick and cross Right (1,2) step Left, Right (3,4) brush/kick and cross Left (5,6) step Right (7) Left, Right (&8).
9.    Tacky Annie: Touch Left and step Left (1,2) touch Right and step Right (3,4) touch Left and step Left (5,6) step Right (looks like the touches from before, but you need to put weight on it) Left, Right (7 &8)
10.   Tacky Annie: same as #9
11.   Tacky Annie: same as #9
12.    Break: same as #4
13:    Shuffle: Though your weight may already be on your Right, step Right anyway (8). Step back Left (1), brush your Right toe forward and back across the floor (&2) step Right, Left (&3) Right (4) step back Left (5), Right brush forward and back (&6), step Right, Left (&7).
14    Break: same as #4
15.   Shuffle: same as #13
16.   Break: same as #4
17.   Stompoff (starting on 8): Right, Left, Right, Right
18.   Stompoff (starting on 8): Left, Right, Left, Left
19.   Stompoff (starting on 8): Right, Left, Right, Right
20.   Freeze: step forward Right (8) and stay in position until the next 8
21.   Pushes: same as #5
22.   Pushes: same as #6
23.   Pushes: same as #5
24.   Pushes: same as #8
25.   Tacky Annie: same as #9
26.   Tacky Annie: same as #9
27.   Tacky Annie: same as #9
28.   Freeze: step forward Right (8) and stay in position until the next 8
29.   Shuffle: same as #13
30.   Freeze: step forward Right (8) and stay in position until the next 8
31.   Shuffle: same as #13
32.   Freeze: step forward Right (8) and stay in position until the next 8
33.   Boogie back: kick forward Right (8), step scooting back Right, Left (&1) kick Right (2) back Right, Left (&3) kick Right (4) back Right, Left (&5) kick Right (6) back Right, Left (&7)
34.  Boogie forward: brush/kick Right out to the right (8) and step Right (1), brush/kick Left and step Left (2,3) brush/kick Right and step Right (4,5) brush/kick Left and step Left (6,7)
35.  Boogie back: same as #33
36.  Boogie forward: same as #34
37.  Boogie back: same as #33
38.  Shorty George:  kick Right to the right on 8, step feet together  Right, Left (&1) then continue alternating feet  Right, Left (2,3) Right, Left (4,5) Right, Left (6,7) going forward, taking small steps that bounce low and roll your feet and knees in the direction of the foot you are stepping on.
39.  Boogie back: same as #33
40.  Shorty George: same as #38
41 and on... "DANCE!"  grab someone near you and finish out the song. (Usually whoever's been leading it will call out "Freeze!" and "Dance!" to get you to stop and start)

Shim-Sham Quick Review

1-3 Stomp Off 17-19 Stomp-Off 33  Boogie Back 4 Break 20  Freeze 34  Boogie Forward 5-7 Pushes-lunge1 21-23 Pushes-lunge 35  Boogie Back 8 Pushes-brush 24 Pushes-Brush 36  Boogie Forward 9-11 Tacky Annie 25-27 Tacky Annie 37  Boogie Back 12 Break 28 Freeze 38  Shorty George 13 Shuffle2 29 Shuffle 39  Boogie Back 14 Break 30 Freeze 40  Shorty George 15 Shuffle 31 Shuffle   16 Break 32 Freeze

1 Call on pushes: “Push & you push & u crossover etc.”

2 AKA Half-Break

Calls: Dance/Freeze/

Dance (also change partners)