The purpose of VJSI is to educate young people under the age of 21 of all aspects of the dance known as Carolina Shag, including its history, heritage, music and culture. Part of the education process is to teach young people the dance, to teach general social dance etiquette and to develop dance skills to dance socially and perhaps, competitively against other juniors on a national level.
In order to accomplish these purposes, VJSI will need to subsidize the costs of juniors who wish to attend Junior Shag-related events, including Junior SOS, a week-long seminar in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where 100’s of juniors congregate for dance workshops from the Shag Hall of Fame dance instructors. Said support could consist of, but not be limited to, lodging and food while at the event, travel expenses, dance shoes and clothing, and other costs.
VJSI will also provide financial support for more local Shag Workshops, dances and other events for juniors, ie, within the state of Virginia.
VJSI will collect for and provide various types of awards for juniors who participate or help with special events such as contests, workshops, exhibitions, and other activities that promote The Shag. Individual awards could consist of, but not be limited to, instructional materials, gift certificates to stores that specialize in shag merchandise, contest entry fees, event tickets, etc. Awards, such as supplemental funds or instructional materials, could also be provided to schools and Community Center Programs. A Junior Shag Program Start-Up Package that consists of instructional material, music resources for their libraries and events, contact information for instructors, DJ’s and Shag Clubs in an area may be developed in the future.