This pancocojams post documents the history of the custom of popping fans in African American (Soul) line dancing.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTES
by Azizi Powell, updated September 2, 2o26
Explanation of terms:
By "African American line dancing" I mean choreographed dances to recorded Soul, R&B, Hip Hop, Zydeco, and (less often) Gospel music. These dances are performed by a group of people while they stand in horizontal lines or rows or while they stand in a vertical, follow the leader single file (or much less often) partner line and move in a circular direction.
African American "trail ride" dancing is a form of African American line dancing.
Another referent for "African American line dancing" is "Soul line dancing". Most the people performing African American (Soul) line dancing are African Americans. However, African American (Soul) line dancing can be performed by people of any race or ethnicity.
By "folding fan" I mean a plastic hand held fan that folds and opens up with the flick of the wrist. These types of hand held fans are used in some Chinese dances and in some Flamenco dances.
History of Popping Fans In Soul Line Dancing
The custom of "popping" a hand held fan while line dancing is relatively recent custom.
The earliest video examples of that custom that I've come across to date are from Ed Griffith's Verlosity line dancers (San Diego, California, January, 2015). That video is given as Showcase #1 In this pancocojams post. That same video is embedded in this Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/164844910212525/posts/24664832993120376/. A commenter on that page indicated that Ed Griffith's Verlosity line dancers performed a line dance routine with popping fans in 2014.
Also, another commenter on that same Facebook page refers to this 2013 YouTube video of a Black man and a Black woman at a convention having a comic battle with their hand held folding fans battle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93QEo0_D0dw_Fan Wars UWD 2013 published by ealinghands26, Apr 1, 2014.
Here's an excerpt from the AI Overview response to my question about the history of popping fans during African American (soul) line dancing [asked on September 2, 2026]
"The custom of holding and popping fans in African American
soul line dancing emerged as a widespread cultural phenomenon in 2024 and
exploded into the mainstream by 2025. The trend was catalyzed by the viral
choreography for the song "Boots on the Ground" by Tre Little, which
explicitly integrated a sharp, rhythmic wrist-flick to snap a folding hand fan
open on specific musical beats
The Evolution of the Trend
Functional Origins: Handheld folding fans have long been a
staple in Black community spaces—such as hot Southern churches and crowded
summer family reunions—primarily used to keep cool while socializing or
dancing.
The "Boots on the Ground" Catalyst (2024–2025):
When choreographer Tre Little introduced the "Boots on
the Ground" routine, the fan was transformed from a cooling tool into a
rhythmic instrument. Dancers began using heavy-ribbed bamboo or plastic
"clack fans" to produce a sharp, percussive "pop" or
"clack" that perfectly accentuates the heavy downbeats of the music.
Social Media Boom:
The visual and auditory satisfaction of dozens of dancers simultaneously popping their fans caused the dance to go viral on TikTok and Instagram. It quickly transitioned from local classes to national cultural moments, utilized by college marching bands and high-profile figures"...
-end of quote-
By at least the late 2024, YouTube videos document an increasing number of males are shown dancing with fans, suggesting that it has become acceptable to "pop fans" regardless of one's gender.
When the line dance begins, the fan is folded and then opened on the beat. This creates a "pop" or snapping sound.The fan may be waved, but is usually quickly folded and that process continues throughout the line dance. I've come across a few relatively early YouTube videos of some line dancers hitting the folded fan on the palm of their hand, and/or tapping the folded fan to their side while they danced, but I haven't noticed that custom in later YouTube Soul line dancing videos.
It's possible that the African American (Soul) line dancing custom of dancing with a folding fan was inspired by Flamenco fan dancing that includes holding and/or Chinese fan dancing, However, both these dance styles are quite different from African American (Soul) line dancing with a hand fan. The custom of New Orleans Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs dancing and strutting while holding one or two large fleather fans probably also influenced the custom of African Americans line dancing while holding a hand fan.
Country American line dancing doesn't have the custom of holding, waving, and twirling dance cloths or popping hand held fans.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT POPPING FANS DURING AFRICAN AMERICAN (SOUL) LINE DANCING
In most of the YouTube videos of Soul line dancing with fans, more women line dancers than men dance with fans. Instead of holding a fan, some male line dancers, clap to the beat or wave a (usually white) towel, cloth napkin, or handkerchiefs while they dance. (I refer to those hand held items as "dance cloths". The custom of males (and less often in YouTube African American videos that I have come across) holding, waving, and twirling a dance cloth while they line dance has its source in the custom of carrying a handkerchief or small towel as a sweat cloth for the dancer who is really "getting down" ("getting funky") on the dance floor to wipe his (or her) sweat off of their brow.
Although folding fans that are used for Soul line dancing can be any color, I haven't seen any fans in these videos that are multicolored. The fact that each fan can be a different color adds to their visual effect.
Most YouTube videos on African American line dancing only have a small number of comments in their discussion threads. In perusing various discussion threads of line dancing videos in which the dancers hold fans, I've only come across only a few comments about the custom of "fan popping". All of those comments are included below.
My daughter Tazi Hughes used to teach line dancing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with Roland Ford's Dance & Be Fit program. She shared with me that some members of the line dance community in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in Maryland, and in other states dance with folding fans to accentuate the beat. For instance, in a line dance when a person takes three steps to the right and claps, a person with a fan would snap open the fan instead of clapping on that beat. My daughter also told me that one way that line dancing with fans has spread throughout the United States is because a lot of dancers do it during at national and regional line dance conventions as well as during their regular line dance sessions and get togethers.
If you are familiar with the history and custom of popping fans while performing line dancing, please help document this history and custom by adding information in the comment section below. Thanks!
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A FEW ADDITIONAL YOUTUBE VIDEOS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN (SOUL) LINE DANCING HOLDING A HAND FAN
These videos are given in relative chronological order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - ★ Woop Woop / Player ★
soulsisterify2, September 3, 2015, D'Vaz Danz'n 2nd
Annual Dance for Diabetes Research Workshop.
Music "Hey Lover" by Charlie
Wilson & Woop Woop by OilWell.
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3: Fan Popping
Gladys Smith, April 14, 2016
Keith Sweat- Good Loving
-snip-
Here are two comments from this video's discussion thread:
1. Eric Williams, 2021
"What kind of fans are those? How can I purchase one?"
**
Reply
2. Gladys Smith, 2021
"Hi Eric, they are 12" silk oriential fans. There is always someone selling them among
the line dance family."
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #-4The Colonel of The Fan Brigade, Reggie Sullivan, SB Steppers
2nd. Annual Dance Convention in Shreve.
Bobby Mobley, August 28, 2016
-snip-
Here are the only comments that are posted to this video's discussion thread:
1. Mattie Brooks, 2019
"Love this line dance. Where can I get the fan?"
**
2, Ray Johnson, 2022
"Yawl go. We pop the fans in Cali too."
-snip-
Notice that it's not just women line dancers in this group who are popping fans.
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #5 - Come on Home - Line Dance
Houston TSI, Mar 14, 2017
TSI LINE DANCE TUESDAY - @ THE STUDIO with Jean Dozier
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #6: LEVEL UP AKA POP YOUR FANS ★ Creator: Brooklyn Ed
TOPSHELF67, Nov 15, 2017
★ Creator: Brooklyn Ed ★ Song: "Level" by Stokely -snip- Here's a few comments from this video's discussion thread (with numbers added for referencing purposes only).
1. Tajauna Thompson, 2018 "Ok so I'm sorry it took me a year to see this particular line dance but you'll killed that ! I've seen several different ones to this song and I have enjoyed them all but the use of the fans added some flavor and made it special . And to The young lady in the front that had on the black t shirt you're in a class by yourself I really enjoyed watching you . Your performance was smooth thanks"
** Reply 2. TOPSHELF 67, 2018 "Tajauna Thompson Good Morning...Juice aka Roll With It sends her deepest gratitude. She says that it was actually the Ambassador who encouraged us to put some STANK on it if you will. Thanks for viewing and responding. Have a great day. The BEST way."
** Reply 3. Tajauna Thompson, 2018 "Nice ideal it worked. Very well done it makes yours unique you'll have a good day as well . I'll keep watching for more from you'll "
** 5. Betty Washington, 2022 "Love the routine with the fan it adds favor to the dance
Love it. Btw how can I get a fan that pop is it on Amazon What is it called
I jus happened upon this comment about Beyonce's newly released song "Break My Soul" that mentions "popping fans" (The comment is in the discussion thread for a Reaction vlog for that song)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgLQHrzOHn8 Vemon Cloudz, June 23, 2022 "I love this direction Motha Beyonce is heading towards. I felt motivated and i do pop my fan as i listen to this". -snip- The vlogger Zach Campbell is LGBTQ. I wonder - Did popping fans come from LGBTQ cultures and was then picked up by Black (Soul) line dancing by Black females (the same as so many other Gay/drag lingo/dances etc)?
In the August 2021 video "Down In The Kuntry", two women are shown holding folding fans while posing and dancing ln place behind or along side of the lead singers Stan Butler and West Love. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJUtBLFd5jA.
This isn't line dancing and the women didn't pop their fans (that I noticed). But I wonder what other forms of dancing includes fan popping?
Here's a comment from a YouTube video about Flamenco dancing that includes a comment about the sound a particular fan makes when it is opened: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzeYTKze_0k&t=113s Advanced Flamenco Dancing : Advanced Fan Combo Moves in Flamenco Dancing, published by ExpertVillage Leaf Group, Sept. 11, 2007 "Practice opening your fan and closing it [your fan]. This is an incredibly loud fan that I have today. So you will find them a little bit more silent."... [1:50 in that video] -snip- My sense is that the loud popping sound which is frowned upon in this video (and in Flamenco dancing?) is probably considered a plus in African American (Soul) line dancing.
I jus happened upon this comment about Beyonce's newly released song "Break My Soul" that mentions "popping fans" (The comment is in the discussion thread for a Reaction vlog for that song)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgLQHrzOHn8
Vemon Cloudz, June 23, 2022
"I love this direction Motha Beyonce is heading towards. I felt motivated and i do pop my fan as i listen to this".
-snip-
The vlogger Zach Campbell is LGBTQ. I wonder - Did popping fans come from LGBTQ cultures and was then picked up by Black (Soul) line dancing by Black females (the same as so many other Gay/drag lingo/dances etc)?