---
title: "Shuffle vs Arthur Murray vs Stab · Nicholas Tapia"
canonical: "https://dance.nicktapia.com/shuffle-vs-arthur-murray-vs-stab/"
tags: "shag, public"
diataxis: "explanation"
author: "@Nicholas Tapia"
---

Library · explanations

# Shuffle vs Arthur Murray vs Stab

These three basics are pretty similar looking! I'd suggest thinking of them as a gradation along one axis: how much the foot lifts and articulates.

-   First comes the [shag basic - shuffle basic](https://dance.nicktapia.com/shag-basic-shuffle-basic/index.md), where the ball of the foot stays closer to the floor, making the shuffle.
-   The [shag basic - arthur murray basic](https://dance.nicktapia.com/shag-basic-arthur-murray-basic/index.md) brings the toe to a point behind the body.
-   The [shag basic - stab basic](https://dance.nicktapia.com/shag-basic-stab-basic/index.md) is where you take the foot back lift and touch the toe down in a "stabbing" motion.

Here's a little clip of the three, one after another. I didn't go "full out" in the dancing, my apartment is a bit cramped, but it does show the basic idea of the foot articulation that distinguishes the three.

[Video: https://dance.nicktapia.com/media/PXL_20260416_160213295~2.mp4]

## More explanations

-   [Are Chugs a Move or a Basic](https://dance.nicktapia.com/are-chugs-a-move-or-a-basic/index.md)
-   [Grippy Versus Slick Shoes in Shag](https://dance.nicktapia.com/grippy-versus-slick-shoes-in-shag/index.md)
-   [Why I Suggest the Shuffle Basic First](https://dance.nicktapia.com/why-i-suggest-the-shuffle-basic-first/index.md)