MoeTalks, Oct 21, 2024
Who Doesn't Love A Good Line Dance? Abbott Did This! Loved It.
Credit to ABC and Quinta Brunson for creating this space called Abbott Elementary
Videos reimagined by and for www.moetalks.com
-snip-
total # of YouTube views as of August 24, 2025 at 7:34 AM EDT= 549,441
total # of YouTube comments as of August 24, 2025 at 7:35 AM EDT= 376
This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series about The Wild Wild West" (African American) line dance.
This post presents information about Abbott Elementary (television series) that included a scene of The Wild Wild West (Soul line dance). This pancocojams post also includes information about "The Wild Wild West" (African American) line dance.
This pancocojams post also showcases a YouTube video of Abbott Elementary S4 E2 (title: "Ringworm") that includes a brief clip of parents and teachers doing the "Wild Wild West" line dance during a PTA meeting. Brief information about Abbott Elementary (television series) is also included in this post.
Selected comments from the discussion thread of the YouTube video of that Abbott Elementary scene are included in this post.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/08/the-history-of-baltimore-aka-new-jersey.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post presents information about "The Baltimore" (also known as "The New Jersey Strut") whose dance moves are used for the "Wild Wild West" (African American) line dance.
That post also showcases three YouTube videos of "The Baltimore" (also known as "The New Jersey Strut") as well as two videos of "The Wild Wild West" (African American) line dance.
The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Will Smith and Kool Moe Dee before him for "Wild Wild West" song. Thanks to all those who choreographed "The Baltimore (aka "The New Jersey Strut") line dance that is used for "The Wild Wild West" (Soul line dance).
Thanks to all those are associated with the Abbott Elementary television series. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
"African American line dances" are also known as "soul line dances". These referents differentiate those line dances from other American line dances (country line dances, rock line dances). American line dances may have the same names, but have different moves.
For example, click https://www.facebook.com/groups/141581296026095/posts/2873272906190240/ for a May 30,2025 article about the American rock (music) "Wild Wild West" line dances. These dances were choreographed in 1988 by Chris Hookie, the writer of that article.
Also, click.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2P9CRbsXi8for a YouTube video of Chris Hookie's American rock ((music)"Wild Wild West Cha Cha - 2 Wall & Contra Line Dance"
****
INFORMATION ABOUT ABBOTT ELEMENTARY (AMERICAN TELEVISION SERIES)
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbott_Elementary
"Abbott Elementary is an American mockumentary sitcom television series created by Quinta Brunson for ABC. It stars Brunson as Janine Teagues, a perpetually optimistic second-grade teacher at the underfunded Abbott Elementary, a fictional predominantly black public school in West Philadelphia. The ensemble cast includes Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, William Stanford Davis, and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
The series premiered on December 7, 2021, and was met with critical acclaim and strong viewership numbers on Hulu and other delayed viewing methods.[1] The show has been nominated for 30 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning four in the comedy series categories including Lead Actress for Brunson and Supporting Actress for Ralph. Abbott Elementary has also won three Golden Globe Awards, with acting wins for Brunson and Williams and the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy in 2023. In January 2023, the series was renewed for a third season consisting of 14 episodes, which premiered on February 7, 2024, with a two-episode premiere. Three days after the third season premiere, it was also renewed for a fourth season, which premiered on October 9, 2024, featuring a crossover with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.[2]
On January 21, 2025, it was announced that Abbott Elementary
was renewed for a fifth season, which is set to premiere on October 1, 2025.[3]"...
****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE "WILD WILD WEST" SOUL LINE DANCE
Excerpt #1
From https://linedancepassion.com/2016/02/10/the-baltimore-aka-new-jersey-strut-line-dance/ "The Baltimore aka New Jersey Strut line dance"
published by Line dance passion, February 10, 2016
"Dance: The Baltimore also known as the New Jersey
Strut
Count: 32 count
Wall: 4
Level: Beginner
Choreographer: Unknown
Song: I Want
Artist: Chaka Khan
Step Sheets:https://www.copperknob.co.uk/stepsheets/the-baltimore-ID83830.aspx
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQlDfL0AwOE The instructional above is Kenny J teaching for Let’s Dance TV.
So apparently this dance has a bit of a split personality.
The story goes that someone from Baltimore went to New Jersey, learned this
dance came back and said it was called New Jersey Strut. Someone from New
Jersey went to Baltimore, and came back with a new dance called The
Baltimore."...
-snip-
Chaka Khan's R&B song "I Want" was released in
1992. "The Baltimore" (aka "The New Jersey Strut") was
choreographed in or around that same time.
-snip-
Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zXKtfKnfT8 at for the official YouTube music video "Will Smith - Wild Wild West ft. Dru Hill, Kool Mo Dee", published by Will Smith on Mar 27, 2011. "The Wild Wild West" line dance moves begin around 2:59 in this video.
Excerpt #2
From https://www.reddit.com/r/AbbottElementary/comments/1iev6e6/how_did_gregory_know_the_wild_wild_west_line_dance/ How Did Gregory Know The Wild Wild West Line Dance?
All of these comments are from 2025. Numbers added for referencing purposes only.
r/AbbottElementary
1. AntRose104
"SPOILER
How did Gregory know the Wild Wild West line dance?"
**
2. heytheophania
"We don’t know how long they were practicing in the gym
before the camera crew came in 🤷🏻♀️
It’s not hard to pick up, either. I hadn’t seen that dance in 20+ years & immediately remembered it when I heard the song 😂"
3.
"I think he’s just able to pick it up real quick. There’s
probably similar movements from other line dances so the pattern falls into
place. Besides who doesn’t want to see Gregory drop it that low."
4.
"Line dances are pretty easy to pick up even for people who
suck at dancing."
Reply
5.
"The Tamia line dance has entered the chat....
**
Reply
6. norfnorf832
"That is an outlier and you know it lmao"
**
7. Far-Statistician9261
"The show depicts Black characters who are immersed in Black
culture, who teach Black children in a majority Black school. The Gregory
character picking up a line dance quickly isn’t an impossibility."
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbqyxkUW_Os
2024
Pinned by @Moe-Talks
1. @Moe-Talks, 2025
"I still need them to show the whole line dance"
**
Reply
2. @KLChimento, 2025
"Agreed - need the whole song as a video of them dancing"
**
Reply
3. @meeks2311, 2025
"Cause they were gettin’ it!!! Ayyeee"
**
Reply
4. @kma837, 2025
"The actual steps are shown in an old YouTube video called
“The Baltimore aka The NJ Strut”. Different music, but same exact steps."
Reply
5.
" @kma837 Thank you for this. Plus I loved the song they were dancing too."
6. @gargrayson51824
"This show is how I learned that Wild Wild West had a line dance! 😂
I knew the song, just didn't know there
was a dance to it."
**
Reply
7. @qmchale5130
"It's really a Baltimore line dance
called the New Jersey Strut, but for some reason, it just seems to fit."
**
8. @ddlovesjc1
"Moetalks, thanks for posting!!! This
scene feels so genuinely real because we all be doing our own versions in a
line dance. I love this show!!!"
**
9. @ElleMS-14
"Will Smith must’ve shed a tear at this scene 🥹"
**
Reply
10. @misstriciak
"He did an appreciation post and tagged each of them"
11.
"Shout out to will smith tho! This show
I’ll always hold Philly down!"
**
12. @MsNekaa26
"Damn it how the hell I didn't know about
this line dance😢😢😢😢 is everything I love the
song Wild Wild West will be learning to dance😂😂😂"
**
13. @dadriamcgregor8346
"thats crazy cause wild wild west was a
box office flop and even will smith eluded to it being his worst movie"
**
Reply
14. @beverlyclark9497, 2025
"Nice dance"
**
15. @walkeen_phoenix139
"Wow this scene escalated at the perfect
pace.. edit: can we talk about how barb confused will Ferrell and will Smith
and yet somehow knows that will wild west has a line dance? And how Greg
doesn't know it and still does the dance better than any 1else in the whole
damn room?"
**
Reply
16. @janetbarber6781, 2025
"@walkeen < Lol! 😅 Good point!"
**
17.@jessunpolished2147
"I never seen this dance or show but I want to do both now"
**
18. @msiebz
"For any dancers in the comments, during the move where they’re changing direction you can kind of hear “KICK BALL CHANGE WOO” "
**
19. @darceyderosa2426
"Loved this dance! ❤"
**
20 @Soul-LedDrift
"They were killing it!! Yassss!!! Eveybodys character and real self shines!!!!!"
**
21. @lashaunwaddell2750
"Baby, when I say, they all were jammin I
absolutely love this show."
**
22. @christinetaylor7028
"This was cool!!! What a way to open up a
new season ❤"
**
23. @jazzinikki01
"The best cold open of this show 👏🏾😁😂"
**
Reply
24. @starrdean4614
"Hell, yea‼️😁😄😁"
**
25. @andreacannady9974
"I see you Jacob! 😂"
**
26. @qmchale5130
"Jacob trying to stay in rhythm. 😂"
**
27. @Luxlivingforless
"I love this show!"
**
28. @s.rosesmith6525
"Love that line dance....."
**
29. @pamelalansbury94
" “Now y’all done got her started” as Barbara gets up to start
the dancing 😂😂😂😂😂"
**
30. @MsNekaa26
"Damn it how the hell I didn't know about
this line dance😢😢😢😢 is everything I love the
song Wild Wild West will be learning to dance😂😂😂"
****
2025
31. @freeinghumanitynow
"Ok but are we gon ignore the fact that
Wild Wild West STILL slaps? That was a great pop record."
**
32. @ladennayoung2939
"I never knew there was a dance."
**
Reply
33. @cassie2559
"@qmchale5130 that dance [w]as* over
here in the uk as well 😂"
-snip-
*I added the [w] in this comment as I think the commenter inadvertently left off
that letter for that word.
**
34. @MrMarmaduke09
"I had to rewind this part of the episode so many times just so that I can learn it . 😂😂😂 they ate that !"
**
35. @Faithspective
"I have only found ONE video with these
same dance steps. Everyone else does it a different way."
**
36. @ShayWilliams-x1o
"Gregory ATEEEEEE 😂😂❤"
**
37. @sydcharlotte
"Oh Gregory ate down"
**
38. @autumnfallsss
"Y’all talking about Gregory. Tariq
killing it too 🔥"
**
Reply
39. @Moe-Talks
"FACTS!"
**
40. @dw3675
"Gotta say Tariq, Gregory, and Barbara
ATE"
**
41. @melissasoverall3085
"How come none of my PTA meetings ended
with a line dance? I feel robbed!😂😂😂"
**
42. @cooliereddz4141
"Why do I feel like Wild Wild West is
gonna start popping up at weddings 😂😂😂"
**
Reply
43. @gloriempaka9474
"That been a thing I'm pretty sure I
heard this song in a few weddings and parties 😂"
**
Reply
44. @chantiaclarke8344
"Black weddings*"
**
45. @TheBlackKakashi
"I had to go watch the music video to
make sure there was really a line dance 😂"
-snip-
This comment refers to the music video of Will Smith's "Wild Wild West":
**
Reply
46. @Moe-Talks
"Me too and it really was. I was like wow"
**
47. @artgroupie
"1:01 go head Barbara 🤣🤣🤣🤣"
**
48. @morgannelson9726
"Jacob is always gettin’ it!!!"
**
Reply
49. @Moe-Talks
"He be trying 😂 He ain't afraid
that's for sure!"
**
50. 1
"Give Melissa an award for doing the line
dance in High Heels"
**
Reply
51. @mc8786
"Meanwhile Jacob counting aloud
“right/left and still gettin it!"
**
52. @dream.5708
"Hands down one of the best moment from
the show lol it was so fun and satisfying to watch everyone absolutely kill
that choreo"
**
53. @ShayneRawls
"I didnt know there was a line dance. Now
i gotta learn it"
**
54. @louiseburke8012
"This comedy translates so well! Its really popular in the
UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand too! Its getting better and better as it
ages. I love all of the characters and I need to learn this dance pronto! I
love Jacobs 'no no' finger wag"
**
55. @heyyyyy1574
"This one of the best shows and cast. They all can bust a
move."
****
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