Music: Follow Me (Club Mix) -snip- Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EHIje55fts for a 2012 YouTube video of an African American group doing a soul line dance (circle dance) of the 1992 house music hit song "Follow Me".
****
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part II of a pancocojams series on the differences between contemporary trail ride line dancing and some contemporary and older "soul" line dances.
This post showcases five YouTube video examples of African American contemporary trail ride dancing. Selected comments from the discussion threads for four of these videos are also included in this post. The comment feature is turned off for Video #3. Instead of comments, an excerpt of a 2021 article about African American trail rides is given after that video..
The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and all those who are featured in these showcased videos. Thanks to all the singers and choreographers of the songs that are featured in these showcased videos. Thanks also to all the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
**** PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE It's important to emphasize that with regard to this post, "trail ride" line dances and "soul" line dances are types of African American line dances (with "line dance" being one of the referents that African Americans use for these types of group dances that are performed in a line. Other African American referents for this type of group dances from various parts of the United States are "hustles" "slides", "two-steps", and "stepping". Read more about those referents below and in this pancocojams post's comment section.
** Disclaimer: I'm not a line dancer (except occasionally). I also am not a dance historian and I have never been to a trail ride.
The information that is compiled in this post is gleaned from my internet searches. Additions and corrections are very welcome.
**** SHOWCASE VIDEOS OF TRAIL RIDE LINE DANCES (These videos are given in no particular order. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.)
SHOWCASE VIDEO #1 - Song/line dance "Follow Me" This video is found at the top of this pancocojams post. -snip- Selected comments:
1. @68heavyChevyRida, February 2025 "OHH OK, so dis wut be goings-on at da
trail rides, I never knew, beings a resident of South Florida 👍🏽👌🏾😎"
** 2. @MichaelBrown-xl5qr, March 2025 "Oh my goodness this is tight...this gave me chills just watching the BLACK FOLK UNITY😅"
** 3. @v.p.6422, March 2025 "I can see me and my equilibrium turned
off self. They going this way me going that way🤭They turning around! Me
going straight..... LORD HELP 🙌🏼🥰😁🥴BUT
I WANNA GO!!! DERN IT 😂"
** 4. @ms.t.g.9176, April 2025 "I LOVE IT!!! trying to learn the steps
now!!! LOVE MY PEOPLE!!!"
** 5. @shadowblackt, April 2025 "Fans up my FBA and Freedman family 🏹🪶
what a beautiful sight keep our culture going ❤"
** 6 @Chan-og8pu, April 2025 "Whoóaaaaaaa y'all see this. It's
freaking multigenerational. Did y'all see all them young folks.😮😮😮❤❤"
** 7. @catc6088, April 2025 "I need to get me a fan and whistle 😂😂❤"
** Reply 8. @mrswilliams4831, April 2025 "Same😂😂"
** 9. @karenjones824, May 2025 "Love this! 🙌🏾🙌🏾❤️
What is the name of the song and line dance please?
Thank you! 😊
** Reply 10. @iamrachaelreed, May 2025 "@karenjones824
The song is Follow Me by Aly Us"
** Reply 11. @karenjones824, May 2025 "@ Thank you! 😊"
** 12. @TheWorldOfRagus, May 2025 "All these beautiful people creating SOOOOOOOO many wonderful vibes. Loving it and can‘t get enough of this. Thanks for sharing this very special moment and best regards from Munich / Germany. HOUSE MUSIC RULEZZZZ ️️️"
** 13. @LadyKayC, May 2025 "I was there. What a
time. Sooooo much fun, vibes, and
hospitality....10/10"
** 14. @mauricegranger3788, June 2025 "I was there and it was such an incredible vibe!! Dancing/eating/drinking all day. Drove from
ATL and had the best time.
** 15. @Countingthedays28, June 2025 "I like the house music with this🎉🎉🎉🎉
** 16. @CollabraBurnette, June 2025 "Loving this here in Ireland ❤❤❤
Chicago house + line dancing + spanish
fans + percussion + synchronicity-
love love love ❤️"
** 17. @MeganDanee, June 2025 "Meh
If the trail riders arent from Texas or
certain parts of Louisiana… then it’s not an authentic trail ride. It’s just
mfs cosplaying black western culture.
Ain’t no real cowboys in Alabama,
Mississippi, Georgia, and the Carolinas.
Y’all were NOT part of the old west or
the Wild West.
The rest of the south love to say “Texas
isn’t really southern”… but love to cosplay our culture and capitalize off of
our aesthetic.
Y’all say Texas has too much Mexican
influence, when the original Vaqueros were Spaniards in Mexico. “Rodeo” and
other western/cowboy terminology comes straight from the Spaniards.
The first black cowboys and black rodeos
were held in Texas.
Y’all don’t even dance Zydeco in the
southeastern parts of the south 😐 that’s why yall so stuck on them fans"
** 18. @sandramilfort9261< June 2025 "Black joy shall not be suppressed ❤ no
matter what 🎉🎉🎉"
** 19. @TheGQKing, July 2025 " "Follow Me" being a Trail ride song is wild lol. It's Time for the Perkalator is NeXt🤣 Love to See"
Original Title: "Coffee Pot (It's Time for the
Percolator)"
Initial Release Year: 1991
Label: ClubHouse Records
Significance: The track is an iconic example of Chicago
house music, popular for its rhythmic style and the associated
"Percolator" dance move.".
** 20, @StevenNichols-t3f,, July 2025 "So beautiful everybody on beat love my
people Heyyy"
** 21. @2828SHAY2828, July 2025 "Idk why this almost made me emotional!?!? Something about when we unite, that large circle of us coming together, and the connection to Mutha Earth all at the same time ❤❤❤😊😊😊😊"
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Trailriders Shuffle Official Video Big Mucci Ft. Rico C
Big Mucci, Oct 1, 2020
Big Mucci The King of LineDance Music & Rico C brings you the Official Video for the TrailRiders Shuffle LineDance. a Mixture of Southern Soul and Trailriders Music
Song: Trailriders Shuffle
Artist: Big Mucci Ft. Rico C
Visuals by: Mr. Kap Bugsy of THEKAPXTC Visual Production -snip-
Selected comments:
1.@gsmpharmacist, 2020 "Move on over Electric Slide!"
** 2. @DarrSays, 2020 "I love it! I hope it catch on and become a black staple with
electric slide, cupid shuffle, and wobble!"
**
3. @MrDhill26, 2021 "Where was this video shot at?"
** Reply 4. @BigMucci, 2021 "It was shot in Rockmart Georgia at 101 Backwood Riders
Trailride"
** 5. @spetersonize, 2022 "How do you join the trail ride clubs I would love to be a
member what do I do"
** Reply 6. @BigMucci, 2022 "Depending on what city you live in, look up Trailride
parties in your area or near by. Start supporting and attending them and peep
out which club suits your liking,
ask a member that you see, can they get you in contact with
their CEO / President / Founder of their club and talk to him about what all it
takes and what you need to do to join their club.
Every Club functions different some may say you have to have
and ride a horse, some may say you have to have an ATV … Every Trailride Club
operates different. Sh-t* some is just immediate Family and Friends." -snip- *This would is fully spelled out in this comment.
** 7. @josephinebenish, 2022 "Amazing song and video and dancing I know how to dance to any line dancing with my own twist"
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO #3- Boots On The Ground Line Dance Trail Ride Drone view & more
#30Talk, Apr 1, 2025
"EPIC" 2025 Boots on the ground Trail Ride in NC. -snip-
Comments for this video are turned off.
Here's an excerpt of an online article about African American trail rides: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/creole-trail-black-cowboy-history "Creole trail rides highlight black cowboy history" written by Joel Balsam, Jan 25, 2021 "On any given weekend in towns across Louisiana and Texas,
hooves click-clack on pavement and wagons blast infectious zydeco rhythms.
Holding the horse's reins in one hand, and a cold beer in the other, is a long
line of cowboys. Not the John Wayne-type typically seen in Hollywood westerns,
but African American men and women, celebrating their culture on a Creole trail
ride.
These campout festivals involve a procession of horses and
wagons, spicy Creole food, traditional line dancing and all-night partying.
Bring a cowboy hat, an empty stomach and a horse if you got one because
everyone's welcome (as long as they behave). Here's what you need to know about
Creole trail rides.
Creole trail ride history
No one knows exactly when trail rides first began, but they
have surged in popularity in the last decade as urbanites skip the clubs in
favor of these wildly fun parties in the dusty countryside. The first trail
rides were organized by black Creoles – descendants of Africans and the French
or Spanish colonizers who settled the area before it was part of the US – who
were excluded from white cowboy culture
It’s thought that West Africans enslaved by the French in
the Lafayette area of Louisiana in the 1760s were among the original American
cowboys – horse-riding cattle herders – then known as vachères, a Creole term
from the French for cow. Some historians say as many as one in four cowboys in
early America were black. Yet the image of an African American riding on
horseback has largely been omitted from popular culture, save for a few movies
like Django Unchained and Blazing Saddles, or songs like Bob Marley's “Buffalo
Soldier,” an ode to the all-black 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States
Army.
Traditionally, trail rides included only members of the
local community – family, friends and members of cowboy associations – but Paul
Scott, the coordinator of Step-N-Strut, a three-day trail ride commonly known
as the Creole Woodstock, said when outsiders come, regulars fall all over
themselves trying to welcome them....
Saddling up
People tend to show up early in the morning for trail rides,
which are usually held on Saturdays in Texas and Sundays in Louisiana. Some
feed their horses before the ride begins while others set up an RV for camping
out, though not everyone stays the night. Those without a horse – the majority
of attendees – ride along in wagons, which are usually equipped with
loudspeakers, an ice chest packed with booze and a port-a-potty for
emergencies. When everyone's ready, the lead wagon begins the ride and the riders
follow along, with everyone else dancing their way down the trail or partying
inside the wagons. While trail rides might sound like they’re restricted to
backcountry dirt roads, they can go along streets and through towns, just so
long as they finish where they began."...
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO #4 - Tonio Armani - Country Girl (Sparta, GA)
Tonio Armani, May 20, 2025 SPARTA
Tonio Armani Live In Sparta, Georgia
#TonioArmani #CountryGirl #LineDance
Song : Country Girl
Artist : Tonio Armani
Video Shot By @iamyungnina -snip-Selected comments:
1. @gxyz0475, June 2025 "I just learned how to do the Country Girl line dance! I'm ready for that Trail Ride now😂"
** Reply 2. @AshEyeCandy, June 2025 "😂😂 make sure you cut up!!"
** 3. @sharoneverett7468, June 2025 "I love this song❤,Along with Tonio and them two
chocolate 💪🏾 backup dancers 🔥
🍫
on my right of the stage facing the crowd."
** 4. @HopeGrant423, June 2025 "love this song and tonio. I just need more footage of singer
and the steppers in the crowd... the stage steppers werent doing it for me.
** 5. @mahoganymarz2693, June 2025 "I AM FROM THE CARIBBEAN BUT WHEN I TELL YOU I JUST GOT PUT
ON TO THE SONG I LOVE IT GROWN MAN THINGS😊"
** Reply 6. @heavenhoward0129, July 2025 "Same vibe from Jamaica 🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲
we got the pum pum shorts the south have daisy duke GIDDYUP"
** 7. @laticialax5647, August 2025 "This song!!! Omg!! 🔥. Gives me chills, sound like he's
testifying!! So beautiful to see our
people enjoying one another ❤️"
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #5 - (Shot On Iphone) 803Fresh - Boots on the Ground w/ DJ CLEVE & TNT Steppaz | BET Buck TV
Buck Tv, Mar 26, 2025 SOUTH CAROLINA
The energy was off the charts at the tour kickoff! Watch 803 Fresh deliver an electrifying live performance of his #1 Billboard R&B hit, "Boots on the Ground," produced by T Da Wizard and Snake Eyes Music Group. Featuring special guest DJ CLEVE and the legendary TNT Steppers, this unforgettable night marks the beginning of an epic tour. Don't miss out on this exclusive performance only on Buck TV Network!
-snip-
Selected comments:
1. @monicamcfarlane9086,May 2025 "Biggest song of the Year ..Love the
Unity this song is bringing ❤🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥👑💥💥"
**
2. @Gullahbae, May 2025
“Can’t nobody do it like us Southern folks! Shout out to my SC brothers and
sisters! Keep the culture and vibes alive!
**
3. @BigRelly1, May 2025 "Country Music is starting to return to
it's original roots.
I love my people..... It feels like
Black people are the root of every creation except for pain and suffering."
** Reply 4. @msintegrity8328, June 2025 "This Southern Soul or Blues Music and it’s been just like
this ever since ever since… just social media—more exposure but we are country
music! Period🎉"
** 5. @Tonia710, May 2025 "Baby that tambourine takes it to another
level for me honey"
** Reply 6. @lindseypettit208, June 2025 "Yes!! Love that tambourine!"
** Reply 7. @dorisminter485, June 2025 "Yes Jordan Gilmore be playing that tambourine"
** 8. @lenasearcy9511, May 2025 "The world is falling apart, and I’m shopping for fans!😂😂😂"
** Reply 9. @memenow2345, May 2025 "❤❤❤❤😂😂😂😂😂"
** Reply 10. @tammiejones2731, May 2025 "We might as well enjoy good music. lol 😂"
** Reply 11. @sljcsu, May 2025 "And a cowboy hat with boots to match!!! 😆 🤣
😂"
** Reply 12. @PreachNPraise, May 2025 "I’m looking for a tambourine! Sister
girl is killing it! I don’t have good knees like he said so…I’ll just sit on
the sidelines and beat my tambourine for y’all! 🤣🤣"
** Reply 13. @candacetyler6211, May 2025 "I may get a tambourine too 😂😂😂"
** Reply 14. @lenasearcy9511, May 2025 "Imma need me a whistle too 😂"
** Reply 15. @Dizzle93,June 2025 "Well if the globe is going to keep
warming, get as many fans as you can."
**
Reply
16. @tussiecat1harris, June 2025 "😂😂😂😂😂😂do
your thang we R strong African culture
you're doing what we have done 4 thousands of yeàrs we will be okay"
** Reply 17. @sheilablue7500, June 2025 "When I 1st heard this, I said, is he saying, “ where them
fans at” we the ppl are crazy creative 😂😂😂"
** Reply 18. @vlmcgee5017, June 2025 "Get Yo' Fan On!"
** Reply 19. @aivat32thomas75,June 2025 "😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 I laughed way too hard at this. 😆
** Reply 20. @russelllarkin5665,June 2025 "Wouldn’t be first time the world felt apart
You better have your boots on the ground! Lol"
** Reply 21. dawns505,June 2025 "RIGHT...got me goin' ' roun to old church mothers asking for
they fan!!!!😂😂😂😂😂"
** Reply
23. @biancaclarke5825, July 2025 "Shopping for fans and trying to learn a line dance 😂😂😂!! 🗣Where them fans at!?!!?"
** 24. @trodgers20091, June 2025 "Southern Black traditions ❤ Bringing it back to the forefront. This is a movement! This is our history being reawakened 🙌🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾💪🏽💯 💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽"
** 25. @evelynwright9805, June 2025 "This song is a spiritual calling … look
at US ALL EVERYWHERE COMING TOGETHER💜"
** Reply 26. @BonnieSamuel-xh7ex,June 2025 "Totally agree, Isn't it Beautiful"
** 27. @Bnic392, June 2025 "Bruh People In New York Is Line Dancin
To 'Boots On The Ground'.😂 This Is A Global Hit Beyond Years❤️💯"
Kenny J and his soul line dancers bring the energy to "GMA" with "Boots on the Ground" as we explore the rich history and resurgence of soul line dancing.
-snip- total # of YouTube views as of August 25, 2025 at 1:28 PM EDT= 807,588
total # of YouTube comments as of August 25, 2025 at 1:29 PM EDT
**** Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post presents some comments from the discussion thread of Good Morning America's video entitled "Celebrating The Legacy Of Soul Line Dancing".
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/08/kenny-j-shares-soul-line-dance-history.html for a August 24, 2025 pancocojams post entitled "Kenny J Shares Soul Line Dance History In A 2025 Online Interview & Also Shares His Opinions About "Good Morning America"'s Showcasing The "Boots On The Ground" Line Dance Rather Than An Older Soul Line Dance)."
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/08/comments-from-discussion-thread-of.html for some comments from the discussion thread of the A. Y.E. team video that is the focus of the pancocojams post entitled "Kenny J Shares Soul Line Dance History In A 2025 Online Interview & Also Shares His Opinions About "Good Morning America"'s Showcasing The "Boots On The Ground" Line Dance Rather Than An Older Soul Line Dance)."
The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, and entertainment purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to 803 Fresh for composing "Boots On The Ground" ("Where Them Fans At") and Tre Little for choreographing the "Boots On The Ground" line dance. Thanks also to Good Morning America for its episode about legacy of soul line dancing. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.
**** SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD (with numbers added for referencing purposes only.)
March 2025
1. @ResumePrep "Thanks for highlighting this art and sharing these stories!!"
** 2. @user-lirtd7j9 "803 Fresh. I'm so proud of you for such
a great song. Boots on the ground. South Carolina got it going on"
** 3. @TaySaidSo "In Detroit we call is Hustling!!! I love how the diaspora has a name in each city! I love us"
** 4. @kathyw.3146 "I wish they would
have had Kountry Smooth on there and some of the younger people who made that
line dance up on there."
** 5. @Spooky_pookie "Can’t they come up with something on their own instead of
taking from the’70’s and country dancing?"
** Reply 6. @tavellcoops "Country music originated from us...."
** Reply 7. @Spooky_pookie "@tavellcoops lmao 🤣"
** Reply 8. @tavellcoops, April 2025 "@Spooky_pookie go ahead, Google is your friend. The banjo is
literally a black made instrument
**** 9. @Spooky_pookie "Thank you!! They are trying to claim
that they invented it and it’s “something new”. Lmao😂😂😂😂😂
this type of dancing has been around forget!!! But hey culture appropriation At
its finest."
** Reply 10. @LadyTTennessee "they are not the original line dances"
** Reply 11. @LadyTTennessee "@Spooky_pookie
how are they saying they created
it? Soul line dancing is a culture. The electric slide and bus stop are not the
original line dances"
** 12. @LUX_8 "@LadyTTennessee This is what happens when we
"share." 🙄"
**
13. @LDFFTV "Dave Bush is actually the creator of the
dance now known as the Wobble. Vic took the exact same steps and just changed
the music. Fast forward to today and the same steps are being used for other
dances, with very slight variations to the steps and/cadence."
** 14. @dborahrehn93 "They didn’t mention frat bros stepping in this video. Goes
way back B4 2003! Say at least 1978 yeah! Kappa
Steppin’ steps 👍🏼 is a form that
predated soul line dancing . And Cupid Don’t miss cupid"
** 15. @ms.clarkslearninghangout1253 "Back in the day Bus Stopping to Frankie Beverly!!!"
** 16. @JeweleneKirkland "Not just Black History month, but every weddings, parties,
& favorite outing (picnics) or just making one up. That's done everyday.
All cultures have their own online dancing group. We do it for health, fun &
creativity. 😂❤😂"
** 17. @omggiiirl2077 "Line dance tradition goes back to our days back in Africa.
If you go and look at the dance of tge tiv people called the swange, you will
see that we as African people have been dancing as a group since time
immemorial! Its a part of us and as natural to us as breathing! We took dances
such as the swinger and adapted it to our surroundings here in America! Now we
call it line dancing."
** Reply 18. @OhDatsJaVion "Everybody in the world dances !! as a group however ! each
lineage does a unique specific dance
What black Americans
do in the south is not the equivalent of what Africans do in Africa. It’s a
different lineage. Not everything black Americans do is linked to Africa."
** Reply 19. @seann54 "What about twerking? 🤣🤣"
** Reply 20. @Spooky_pookie "@seann54 lol that’s
specific to one culture 😂😂😂😂😂"
** Reply 21. @omggiiirl2077 "@seann54 tweaking
also is seen in Africa, so never let Africans try to shame us about that either
because many tribes do that too. Its something we been doing since time
immemorial. But the difference is context. The difference is also what is being
worn, and who is being shown, and how we defend it, and display our culture. We
should talk about these things openly. And understand that Our identity as
African people is WAY long her than the few centuries we have existed here,
segregated mind you."
** Reply 22. @omggiiirl2077 "@OhDatsJaVion oh
okay. We're so different. Yet dna says a
whole different story. And not just that, and mountain of historical
documentation, botanical evidence,
linguistic evidence, cultural,
and now with YouTube you can see the similarities without having to travel to
Nigeria or Africa. Is our line dance special yes it is. But my point is valid.
It did not come from thin air. We have an ancestry and lineage that goes much
deeper that just slave ships, it goes back to the birth of humanity. I find it
hilarious how people want to claim that Black people are tgat first people and
Black Women carry the Eve gene, but then want to disassociate ourselves from
the very continent Eve comes from. You can't have it both ways. I don't
understand what all this aversion to being Africans in Amerikkka is. It stinks of
self hatred. You do know that more than one thing can be true at one time
right? You really have to get your mind to stop thinking like like the white
man."
** 23. @Mr.Know.It_All "Foundational Black American culture 🇺🇲."
** 24. @corrinrausch1399 "I had a smile on my face this whole segment. Can this white
girl join? I can do the boot scootin' boogie as an audition."
** 25. @ehall0616 "Yall need to stop...this line dance originated from the
south side of Chicago not New Jersey 😤
And who and where did this man come from...????not hating
just truths....remember R Kelly boat video 🎉"
** Reply 26. @LDFFTV "This segment isn't about where line dancing started. This is
about line dancing in the New Jersey, Philly, and Delaware area. This man is
someone well known among those in the soul line dance community."
** Reply 27. @chrisnichols8582 "But...but, trump said we can't celebrate Black History
Month!🤣"
** 28. @evonza4858 "Because SSSOOOUUULLL TTTRRRAAAlllNNN is part of Black
History and Black Excellence 🥰❤️🖤💚✊🏾❤️🖤💚"
** 29. @jacquelinefulton5226 "Wonderful to see such happiness! Line dancing archived and
acknowledged ~it’s a wonderful thang!!!!😊❤️"
** 30. @kamurray8 "Thank you for showcasing soul line dancing with Kenny
J. Here in Jacksonville, Fl we are the
Young & Relentless soul line dance and fitness group. Line dancing is such
a stress reliever, it's alternate form of exercise, a way to meet people, it's
FUN, and it's for EVERYONE. You better
pop that fan Robyn. Thank you for representing us well Kenny J."
** 31. @missbhavin4philly "Line dancer from Philly here. It's truly therapy, a whole community!!Made history with a whole line dance exhibit in the Library of Congress that day, the celebration was wonderful!!"
**
32.@dtimms "Robyn killed me with that fan..😂
she was ready" -snip- African American female Robyn Roberts is one of the host of the Good Morning America television series.
** Reply 33. @sashamatamoros2365 "Robyn got the assignment"
** Reply 34.@msgemsgems "😂😂😂❤❤❤
She was!"
** Reply 35. @JPC629 "Ikr! ROBIN 😃"
** Reply 36. @Titinefer1129 "Robyn be snappin it."
** Reply 37. @nattydredka "I know right!!😂😂"
** Reply 38. @MsChalaki "Baby!!!! Robyn was on it!!!! 😂❤
Yassssss"
** Reply 39. @jdjking "😂❤
Me too! Even the Auntie hip movements 🥰"
** Reply 40. @josryder7841 "LITERALLY LOL and said the same🤣"
** Reply 41. @Rhonda-i7t, April 2025 "Okay you see her Face She meant Biddness😂😂😂"
** Reply 42. @SD-ji9th, April 2025 "🤣💯"
** Reply 43. @brandonrorie2267, April 2025 "Yes!!"
** Reply 44. @marianb2530, May 2025 "Yes she was! Get it
Robyn!" **** April 2025
45. @cynthiagardner7922 "I knew our stuff would be hijacked once it aired here"
47. @rubymattox8954 "It started with a dance called The Madison,"
** 48. @ninared6816 "What happened to Cupid with his line dances from years ago?
No recognition! Shame. Fans were out over four years ago!"
** 49. @marcielottie6620 "I recall from the 50/60s Madison Time was one of the first
line dances? Ray Bryant trio?"
** 50. @yvonnecalvin2061 "Wobble was a good one"
** 51. @Nmelys "Have you heard of the Madison? My family did this with a
song called “It’s Madison Time” in the 1960s"
**** July 2025
52. @ninared6816 "I am 74 years young and did the line
dance Bus Stop in the 60s. Give everyone their due please. Also great exercise.
Taught many in a healthy living class in 2015."
The A.Y.E. Team, Premiered Mar 26, 2025 UNITED STATES
"This ain’t just another interview—this is a masterclass.
On this episode of Just A.Y.E. Conversation, we sat down with Kenny J, and he brought the HEAT.
He gave us real history on the origin of Soul Line Dance, shared his thoughts on Boots on the Ground, and spoke on his Good Morning America moment."... -snip- total # of YouTube views as of August 25, 2025 at 1:29 AM EDT= 990
total # of YouTube comments as of August 25, 2025 at 1:29 AM EDT= 59
**** Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post presents some comments from the discussion thread of this embedded YouTube video. As such, this is a continuation of this August 24, 2025 pancocojams post: "Kenny J Shares Soul Line Dance History In A 2025 Online Interview & Also Shares His Opinions About "Good Morning America"'s Showcasing The "Boots On The Ground" Line Dance Rather Than An Older Soul Line Dance)." https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/08/kenny-j-shares-soul-line-dance-history.html
That post presents information about Soul line dance (African American line dance instructor Kenny J. It also presents three excerpts from the auto-generated transcription of The A.Y..E. Team's March 26, 2025 interview with Soul line dance instructor Kenny J.
The Addendum to this post showcases the Feb. 27, 2025 Good Morning America's episode featuring Kenny J that is entitled "Celebrating The Legacy Of Soul Line Dancing".
The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, and entertainment purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Kenny J (Kenny Johnson) for his cultural legacy. Thanks to Markis (The A.Y.E Team). for this online interview. Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos, thanks to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
Special thanks to 803 Fresh (Douglas Furtick), for composing "Boots On The Ground" ("Where Them Fans At") and Tre Little for choreographing the "Boots On The Ground" line dance.
-snip- For the historical and cultural record, I've also decided to document some comments from the discussion thread for Good Morning America's video entitled "Celebrating The Legacy Of Soul Line Dancing". Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/08/good-morning-americas-episode-that.html for that pancocojams post.
**** SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD Periodically, I will add more comments from this discussion thread with month stamps. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.
1. @MissEvv77 "😊My first time seeing a
line dance on YouTube that wasn't the Electric Slide was Terminal Reaction
being done by "Kenny J" and the members of The I Am Kenny J
Productions. I was hyped! I went to Newark Symphony Hall that week,
where they hosted the monthly Soul Line Dance Party. I met him and saw the many dance groups doing
their "thang"! Within a couple
of weeks, I went to classes and eventually joined the Step4Step Soul Line Dance
Family. That was over 12 years ago; my
LOVE for the Soul Line Dancing Culture is deep!
In my humble opinion, Kenny J is
a MASTER and EDUCATOR. Thank you,
"Kenny J" for sharing your e experiences and lessons on this
"life"👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🕺🏾🕺🏾🕺🏾🕺🏾💞💞💞"
** 2. @LadyTTennessee "I agree Markis! He knew the assignment & represented"
** 4. @LadyTTennessee "exactly not about a dance or a song"
** 5. @danceurban3487 "We have to document and share knowledge without condemning."
** 6. @darciastandard3877 "Great interview. Now we know! Thank you, Kenny J and Markis."
** Reply 7. @TheAYETeam "@darciastandard3877 thank you"
** 8. @LadyTTennessee "i was at the 1st UWD with Jerome Bentley #epic"
** 9. @danceurban3487 "The word 'Steppin'
used for multiple dance styles."
** 10. @missystarks459 "BOG was definitely trending at that time but I wondered why
he chose that one"
** 11. @avisgardner2495 "Great interview. Boots on the Ground should not have been an
option. It only introduce the world to Trailriding not Soul Line Dance. Cupid
and Big Mucci would have gave GMA all the rights you needed."
** 12. @ultimatedeeva2715 "I tuned in late. Was there any discussion on intellectual
property in the Soul Line Dance community?"
** Reply 13. @TheAYETeam "Great question! While we didn’t dive deep into intellectual
property in this episode, it’s definitely an important topic in the soul line
dance community—especially as choreography continues to grow and spread.
We’ll absolutely keep that in mind for a future episode.
It’s something that deserves real conversation, especially when it comes to
ownership, credit, and protecting our creativity.
The A.Y.E. Team, Premiered Mar 26, 2025
UNITED STATES
"This ain’t just another interview—this is a masterclass.
On this episode of Just A.Y.E. Conversation, we sat down
with Kenny J, and he brought the HEAT.
He gave us real history on the origin of Soul Line Dance,
shared his thoughts on Boots on the Ground, and spoke on his Good Morning
America moment."... -snip- total # of YouTube views as of August 25, 2025 at 9:03 AM EDT= 991
total # of YouTube comments as of August 25, 2025 at 9:03 AM EDT= 59
**** Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest update- August 25, 2025
This pancocojams post presents information about Soul line dance (African American line dancing) instructor Kenny J.
This post also presents three excerpts from the auto-generated transcrip of The A.Y..E. Team's online conversation about soul line dancing. That March 26, 2025 interview with Soul line dance instructor Kenny J ("I am Kenny J") is the third conversation in that series.
The Addendum to this post showcases the Feb. 27, 2025 Good Morning America video of "Boots On The Ground" with soul line dance pioneer instructor Kenny J.
The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, and entertainment purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Kenny J (Kenny Johnson) for his cultural legacy. Thanks to The A.Y.E Team) for this online interview. Thanks to 803 Fresh for composing "Boots On The Ground" ("Where Them Fans At") and Tre Little for choreographing the "Boots On The Ground" line dance. Thanks to Good Morning America for its episode on soul line dancing videos, and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
**** INFORMATION ABOUT KENNY J From http://www.iamkennyj.com/bio.html [complete reprint retrieved August 25, 2025] "You do you and I'll do me,
I am Kenny J!
Originally from Baltimore Maryland, Kenny J, now a
Burlington County NJ resident, is a retired Army First Sergeant and ex-drill
Sergeant. In 2004 he was called to serve in IRAQ under Operation Iraqi Freedom
and by the grace of God he has since returned and catapulted into becoming a
major entity in the R&B/Soul line dance world. He is a member of the Phi
Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated and the Founder and CEO of I am Kenny J
Productions, a dance organization that specializes in dance entertainment,
performance and instruction. His
organization is established as one of the most philanthropic organizations in
the dance community serving the entire Delaware Valley Region in its effort to
reach and promote the virtues of line dance.
“Footwork with a Purpose” is its creed and has become a very visible
presence in the lives of many.
A former member of the Dave Bush Dancers out of
Philadelphia, PA, his special style of dance and ability to connect with people
has provided him the opportunity to perform in various venues throughout the
country. His impact on others, however,
reaches far beyond his fancy footwork.
He is recognized by his peers as one of the most prominent instructors
in the line dance community with his ability to captivate audiences. In 2008, he was voted entertainer of the year
at the UC Awards, a Maryland line dance awards ceremony. Kenny J’s success has taken him throughout
the country to do workshops and performances, in places like Salina, Kansas at
the Smokey Hill River Festival; Columbia, Missouri at the Columbia Arts Festival,
Los Angeles, California and a host of others.
In many ways he and his organization are trailblazers doing whatever
they can to promote the Delaware-New Jersey-Philadelphia region. His
performance team “Sophisticated Funk” has performed throughout the country both
competitively and non-competitively in venues like the Virginia Tri State
SLYDE, The US Open swing dance competition in Anaheim, California, and the
United We Dance family reunion, held in various locations in the Midwest,
exciting audiences with their unique dance style. He has also appeared on the Dr. OZ show
teaching the good doctor a Soul Line dance.
While there are many people to credit for his success, Kenny
J gives credit first, to his Family and friends for being supportive and
willing to give him the opportunity to do all that he does. He also gives special thanks and credit to
Barbara Capaldi of the Atrium Dance Studio; his longtime mentor and friend Mr.
Dave Bush; the officers and members of his organization, I am Kenny J
Productions; and his many students and patrons that support his endeavors.
Hire Kenny J to bring the excitement to your next event!
Objective:
To provide interactive line dance instructional workshops,
choreography and dance performance presentations to both the adult community
and children."
**** EXCERPT OF THE AUTO-GENERATED TRANSCRIPTION OF THIS SHOWCASE VIDEO This partial transcription is divided into
- Part I from 1:54 and some portions of the discussion to 21:44] Part I also includes my summary of a portion of Kenny J's comments during that portion of that interview. That summary is written in italics and given in brackets.
-Part II from 33.21 to 44.39 [with some portions of that discussion not excerpted]
This excerpt includes a few spelling corrections and punctuation additions.
-Part III from 47.06 -53.55 In this portion I am Kenny J talks about the difference between the African American trail ride songs & dances (which he -and other people?- apparently considers "Boots On The Ground" to be a part) and soul line songs/ dances. I am Kenny J also provides some commentary about soul line dances and progressive line dances and more... .
....Markis C (Interviewer)- "Iwant to bring you on here because like I said, um a lot of
people in the community right now, new people that's coming to being
introduced to Soul Line Dancing and I've been introducing a lot of people to uh my channel as well too. So I wanted to give
them an opportunity because we talk about people throughout the nation that's
part of the solon dance community and they watch your videos, they watch, you know, the YouTube channels, the
instructionals and everything else, but they never get a chance to get
familiarized with the actual person if anything else. So for those who don't know
who you are, um I would like you to take this time to actually introduce
yourself and tell a little bit about who is I am Kenny J."
I am Kenny J - "I am Kenny J. just Kenny J. But look, I've been line
dancing since 2002. So, I'm from New Jersey. Line dancing since 2002. And um around
that time is when I met Dave Bush. We consider him the godfather of line
dancing. May he rest in peace. So, I'm in this what we call this tri-state area,
Philadelphia, Delaware, and and and New Jersey. So, it seemed like everybody was
doing this in Philadelphia. And I said, "Wow, we got to do this in New Jersey." So I
started learning some dances and started I brought it back to New Jersey and I started teaching and at that time it consumed my life
because I was teaching every day, every day, 247, line dance, line dance, line dance. And I fell in love with it.
And then I saw that um there was a lot more to it than just what met the eye because I thought we were the only
people doing it in the Philadelphia area.
But I would soon find out that other folks was doing it. I I met this brother and
I'll talk about him a little later on named Curtis Good and um Curtis Good was doing it in the in the Midwest. we were
doing in the Philadelphia area. At some point, we connected and in my opinion, this is an opinion, in my
opinion, between Curtis Good and myself, we took the already existing line dancing
to another level by introducing it to a whole lot more states that that were
not doing it and are doing it now.
So again, I consider myself um just a pioneer. I do consider myself a pioneer in this in this
industry, but there are a lot of other folks that that sit at the same table that that I sit at. But what I did was
I started my own little group, I am Kenny J Productions.
And then um I went to war. I went to Iraq and came back. Oh
wow. When I came back to Iraq, I I realized how good I had it. So then my
purpose and and my direction changed a little bit. I thought that wait you got
it so good. You have to give back to other folks. So we started "I am Kenny J Productions" with line dancing as the
basis for what we do in to in order to give back to the community."
[…]
[Kenny J talks about voluntarily disbanding his “I am
Kenny J” organization, but still keeping one foot in the door of the soul line
dance movement and now more actively coming back to that movement.]
Markis C - "Now you mentioned
earlier about how you guys uh started to take line dance and introduce it to different states. How easy was the transition of
presenting something of that on that level and aspect to these different states that
y'all was trying to introduce it to and follow-up question behind that uh How much of a comparison it is right now
towards what the trail ride is introducing and I know trail ride been around for a
minute but it just still seemed like it's being reintroduced to us in different cities and states like the
comparison from those two."
I am Kenny J - "Let let me first say this. I cannot speak on the trail riders because I do not know
enough about the trail riders to speak on the trail riders. But I can tell you for soul line dancing and and again my
opinion - back around 2004, 2003, 2004, maybe 2005- I was one of the probably one
of the first people to to post the volume of line dance videos on YouTube. So, a lot of folks started
looking at YouTube say, "Hey," and and and I will tell you, folks will
come to me and say, "Oh my god, Kenny Jay, I learned all of your dances. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have got into line
dancing." And I have to correct them to an extent. I say, "Wait, you learned all of the dances that I posted on
YouTube, right? If you look at the verbiage on there, the description, it'll tell
you this dance was choreographed by Ray Boyd or Brooklyn Ed, the song was such and such and such and such,
but yes, you may have learned the dances from me, but they're not necessarily my dancers.
So with with the evolution
of these dancers on YouTube, that coupled with me meeting Curtis Good and and I
gotta tell you, there was an event called "United We Dance", right? And if you
give in a weekend event now, if you're a line dance organization or a line dance host and
you give weekend events, you might not know this, but your event, the blueprint for your event was "United We
Dance". Wow. So, "United We Dance" had these weekend events. And when I met Curtis Good,
I took like two or three buses from the Philly, Jersey, Delaware area to
Detroit or to Ohio, to the Midwest, to wherever he was having this event. They were
the first ones, in my opinion, they were the first ones that were given these weekend
events. And one of the biggest weekend events in the Soul line dance community. Right now -it is the UC Star Awards. Well, I
will tell you this, again, my opinion. Even the UC Star Wars was modeled after "United We Dance". "I am Kenny J." began to give weekend events. I modeled mine
after "United We Dance".
Now, don't get me wrong, you see Star Wars, I am Kenny J,
and everyone else, we made some changes. is we did a little, some things a little different. But with all due respect,
weekend events came from "United We Dance." Wow.
And then Curtis Good was like the ambassador.
Now granted, there were a lot of other folks that worked with him, but he was
the face of "United We Dance". Curtis Good with the combination of people seeing line dancing on YouTube that I posted and Curtis Good doing
the leg work.
Curtis Good was going to to Atlanta. He was going to
California. He had called me Kenny J. I found out they got a line dance organization in Nebraska. I'm going to go there.
He goes to Nebraska and he pushed that "United We Dance" event. He goes to Texas and he pushed that. So now all these
different states were coming. Now they're seeing line dancing from the Philadelphia area that I posted on YouTube.
And now they're going somewhere and they get to see all these people that they saw in the videos. Curtis Good are
bringing all these people to "United We Dance" events. It eventually got up to like 1500 or
so people for a weekend event.
Now back then when you went to those events,
there was no sleeping. You pull up in there on Friday morning. They would have some workshops for you on Friday
morning. They have a dance on Friday night. And then they had the infamous afterparty. That was after the dance was over
after the hotel told us we had to shut the ballroom. There was a party somewhere where you dancing from 2:00 to 5:00 in
the morning and next thing you know it was time for breakfast. And then there's the workshops on Saturday and
then there's the entertainment Saturday evening and then the line dance party. And then after the line dance
party, there was the afterparty. And the after party was until it was time to get on the bus to go back to your
airport or whatever it was. So it was 24-7, three days of -three days and three nights of just line dancing, line
dancing and line dancing.
And people started meeting each other. So, I met the likes of Lewis Jenkins, Curtis Good, Nicole
Points, Jamie Gant, uh, Ziggy, Richard Phillips, and they met all of the the
quote unquote Philadelphia stars, Ray B Boyd, Brooklyn, Bernard Deette, Kenny J, all those people. And
then all of a sudden, people started coming from other place. Then here comes this
guy named Jerome Bentley, one of the greatest choreographers there in in the game today, right?
It's was Curtis Good's efforts running from state to state and telling them about his "United We
Dance" event and people seeing line dancing on YouTube. It took off and it and one state after another. I
get a call, hey, hey KDJ, guess who's coming? We got people from from
Mississippi. We got people from So, one state after another, one state after
another.
And I can tell you Atlanta is big in line dancing now. But I remember when Atlanta first started, there was I I I
remember I went to an event. Jerome Bentley was there and they were doing this dance. Um it's called "Good foot".
They call it "Super Bad". Okay. Okay. And they said to me, "Hey, Kenny J, we're
going to do um Super Bad." I'm like, "Okay." And we did it. Three
songs later, "Hey, Kenny J, we're gonna do "Super Bad" again." And it four songs later,
"Hey, Kenny Jay, we gonna do and they did it again." And and and today, if you go to a line dance event and you do the same
song, if a DJ plays the same song twice, he about to get hung. So So I'm- My point is, right, I recall going down to
Atlanta when it was like that. They they only knew the dances that were done at "United We Dance" or the dances that were posted on YouTube by me.
But now, okay, of course, that story is
different when you look at ... And that story is different for all of these states, right?
I believe everybody has something unique going on in their own state. Each state
has their quote unquote "line dance guru", their their stars, their, you know,
their top-notch line dancers and choreographers and instructors. So, I think
it's a beautiful thing. I think we've grown. We've grown to a place. But the one thing that as I
mentioned, even my events, I modeled after United We Dance, but I tried to do
something a little different. I saw something more in soul line dancing. I felt
like we were like the best kept secret. So then when I would have my weekend
events, I would bring quote unquote celebrities. I don't know if you're
familiar with Darren Henson from Soul Food. Yes, I saw the video from Soul Food. And he's also he's also a
choreographer. So, I had um May he rest in peace, Chuck Brown from Soul
Searches. Oh, wow. So, I brought these guys in with the And then I had this guy named
Steph Stewart from Broadway. The the whole... my whole idea was hopefully they would see what we were doing and then
they would help us to take it to the next level to get … national exposure"...
[pancocojams Excerpt Part II]
...I amKenny J "So, let me tell you what happened with Good Morning America.
They said, "Hey, Kenny J, can you give us a list of songs ,of some dances that you want to do?"
So, if they would have gotten the license, the okay to play
certain songs, I would have been doing what you know, what people in the world know
as a soul dance as opposed to Boots on the Ground. They didn't get that license.
I said, "Hey, this dance right
here is trending." They wanted us to do some dances to showcase and they wanted us to teach a dance. So the dancers, the
list of dancers that I gave to pick from to teach, they came back and said, "Hey, we got a license to do Boots on
the Ground." I said, "That's perfect. We'll do that." They
didn't get the license to do um "Can't Get Enough" by Tamia, so we
couldn't do that. And what people don't know, we did "Terminal Reaction" and we did "Go
Hard, Go Home". They didn't air that. They wanted to air the piece that we were teaching. So which which is fine.
But
again and again I I don't want Trey Little to take this the wrong way or 803
Fresh because I do appreciate what you guys did and I love your music and I love your dance, but if I had to accentuate
somebody in the soul line dance world, if this was about choreography, if
this was about a dance, if this was about a song, it would have been something from the Soul line dance world that
somebody had been busting their butt for the last 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years, I would have brought them on
instead."
Markis C-"So, I agree. I agree."
I am Kenny J - "I I want people to understand that again. It
was not about a particular dance. It was not about a particular song. It
was not about a particular choreographer. "Boots on the ground" would not have
been included at all if it was about any of those things. But while you ask other folks and
and Trey Little and said he was a little taken back, you know, I
I look at it and I say, "Well, wait a minute. You're taken back. Granted, Boots on the Ground is the
hottest trending dance out there right now, but you got to recognize that there is only
a select group of people that look at the internet, at line dancers on
the internet and and fall in love with it or go to it and do it. The
exposure from Good Morning America enhanced that group of people. Now all the
people that were looking at Boots on the ground that love it, you got people that would
never have looked at a line dance are looking at it. So yeah, quite honestly, in my opinion, my opinion only, I put
your dance out there for a little more exposure. So yeah, now I and let me step back.
I do
think there was one thing that I could have done and and as a matter of fact I
should have done but unfortunately while at the Good Morning in America segment
there was a thing we had rehearsals and says okay Kenny you're only going to have X amount of seconds you got to get
this in. You got to get that in. But what I should have done was I should have
at least said this song is from 803 Fresh and this dance was choreographed
by Trey Little.
I I apologize to you guys for not giving you that that due
respect, but right charge it to the head, not the heart. But I agree. At the
same time, at the same time, "Boots on the ground" is is not what soul line dancing is about. And that is not
what that segment is about.
Now, you look at the segment, you'll see clips from other people doing dances. And now
granted, when she pulled some dancers off, there were quite a few of the boots on the
ground. And that's because I confirmed with her that that would be the dance
that I would initially I was supposed to been teaching Robin and Michael. I said, "Okay, well, I need
a beginner's dance, right?" So, some of the dances that I considered was um uh bring them out, seno. So all there's um
the jump off there was again it was about giving them a list of songs
that the studio could then get the rights to play that music. And then they came
back said, "Okay, here are the songs." And the first song that they actually got the rights to was Boots on the
Ground. I said, "Oh, that's a no-brainer. We're gonna do "Boots on the ground".
Markis C- Oh, right. Honestly, I think I think um
you know, honestly the and and regardless of and I'm gonna speak for me and my
opinion and everything else cuz like I told you my initial reaction like
a man he chose that one. You know what I'm saying? That was my initial reaction. And they did have clips of videos
um for people doing dances and a lot of the clips wasn't people doing boots on
the ground. They were doing other dances. Just "Boots on the ground" was playing
in the background because I know my my my family over in Omaha. The video that
they was doing, I think it was it was a choreographed dance that they created. They had nothing to do with "Boots on
the ground".
But I'mma tell you this, for me, um, while even though I felt the way I felt in the moment, I
once again said I was happy to see you as the individual representing us cuz I
felt like while there are other people that could have, I know who you are.
Um, and I know that your personality was was necessary. you only the one you're
the only one with that personality that's attractive and and keep the energy and keep it fun and bring more
excitement and everything else.
And then the fact that you did "Boot on the ground", I think it really affected our city and
our community even ore, our local city. Why? Because now it made everyone try to find line dance classes to the point where
now you got people who can't find line dance classes creating line dance
classes. You got the clubs now, they trying to do line dance classes in the clubs and everything else. So what what I
feel like when even though that was not the agenda and the intent, the fact that
you end up doing it and the fact that it worked in that way still brought favor to a lot of people who are hosting
classes and parties. If they say they ain't, that mean they ain't doing
it right. because all you had to do was slap "Boots on the ground" on your flyer and I promise you your your party was
packed. You know what I mean? You got people who are searching for clash just to do that dance. So what you did
was still a blessing in my in my you know from my perspective because it
brought more awareness of what our mission is and what we're trying to do in our city at the end of the day.
So they give us the opportunity and the platform to educate them and introduce them to the Soul line dance community
because yeah, we'll teach you "Boots", but we going to teach you about the Soul line dance community.
So, all in all, I am still grateful that it went the way it
did at the end of the day. So regardless of what other people may feel and think
and it is what it is, but I still think what you did and how what was selected was still the best thing that happened to
our city at the same time."
I am Kenny J -"With that being said, at the end of the day, um, while I emphasize I would not have done Boots on the Ground if this was about a certain dance
or a certain choreographer, but at the end of the day, Boots on the Ground was the ultimate decision to teach...
So, now a lot of people did ask, "Well, how come you didn't call Trey Little? you should have brought him on.
Well, truth be told, I didn't know him, but I did do some research. I reached out
to him. I sent him a friend request on Facebook. He probably saw "Kenny Johnson. Who the hell is this? I don't
know this guy". I'm speculating now. I'm speculating. I don't know. I reached out to him, but he
didn't respond. So, I left it at that. So, yeah."
MarkisC - "Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's cool. Yeah. Because I know it's I know he
probably getting a lot of everything on his page and his channel and everything else. And one thing, and I'm not sure if you
caught the interview, but one thing he said was that um, at the end of the day, he was grateful that it was
us that represented that versus anybody else. You know what I mean? Like once he
he sit back and look, like it could have been worse. It could have been
somebody else. And the fact that it was us doing that in in the bestest light as possible, he was grateful to see that. You
know what I'm saying?"
I am Kenny J - "And so I will tell you this, if Good Morning Americawould have reached out to me and said,
"Hey, we want to do a segment on "Boots on the ground," I would have had no choice but to bring Trey Little on and 803
Fresh." Yeah. But that was not the agenda" Markis C- "Correct. Understandable. Understandable
"...
**** [pancocojams Excerpt Part III]
[I am Kenny J responds to Markis C's question about African American trail ride events and, in particular, to a video of one trail ride event that showed a lot of people fighting.]
...I am Kenny J- Again, let me first say this. I don't know enough about
Trail ride to speak on it, but what I do know is first of all, I think in Trail ride, Trail riders are getting a bad name. I I think they're
getting the blame for something that's from my understanding again I don't know this to be factual from my understanding there are the trail
riders and then there are the folks that are teaching dancers to that particular genre of so that particular genre of music
and they go to these trail rides but they are
not quote unquote “trail riders”. So again, I don't know that to be true, but
I'm my understanding that there's two separate things. But even so, who made us the the authorities on those
dances? Who told us that we can control what they do? Who told us that we need to regulate the dances they do, when they do it, how
they do it, and and so forth and so forth?
What you better remember in the Soul line dance world we started at a beginning
also we didn't use dance jargon also. You tell me where in the dance world is
the step called “Shayron” explained? It's not. It was created by us. You know
why? Because we had our own mindset and it was okay. This was our thing and and there were folks that wanted us to to mirror what's
done. And there's a world called “progressive line dance”.
And and and quite honestly, the difference between “progressive line dance” and
“soul line dance” is the majority of the folks doing progressive line dance are
white folk. And they have step sheets and they have music terminology. And, in
that world, a dancer could take the step sheet and
he or she would be able to learn the dance just by reading that step sheet. In our world, that was different in our world
because what I called a step in New Jersey, somebody else called something
different in Detroit. And then that same step in Florida was different.
And somebody said, "Hey, we need to be like them." And it was my
position that no, we don't. We can. if we want to call this “Shayron”. If we
want to call that whatever it is, then that's fine. All we need to be able to
do is translate it. We need to know that while we call it “Shayron”, in their
world, it's called “XYZ”. Just like if you were to go to France, yeah, you
would have to be able to- you don't have to learn that language. You just need
to know what what you call it over here in the United States and what they call
it in France. That's what you mean.
And so then how do we dare look at somebody else that's starting something and
having fun and doing what they do, minding their own damn business. How do we
dare put ourselves in a position to to tell them what they should, what they
could, and what they cannot do? We don't have that. Who do we think we are? M let them do them.
And then to your point about that video, I guarantee you to that one video of Terrimorial
or whatever it was was, I bet you there are 50,000 videos of trail rides or
trail ride parties or whatever it is where everybody's having fun. Why aren't
those videos posted and why aren't they getting a million views? Because we are
people that like to see turmoil. We if if we ain't in the forefront leading the
success, then we want to tear it down. Be
careful. Yeah. Who are you? Yeah. You don't know everything.
And and I I I've seen some of the comments. “Oh, they're
teaching the step and they don't even know what the step is called”. Oh, they
do this. And and I'll be honest, when I first started teaching It took me a
minute to learn the relationship between music and dance. It took me a minute
to learn about measures. Four beats and and and phrases and so forth and so
forth. I taught a dance and I counted
12. Ain't no such thing as 12 beats in it. “One, two, three, four, five, six,
seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12. Learn.” But my point is at some point we all
had to learn, right? And and then… but even though I know now when I teach that
dance, I'll still teach it with 12 steps. I say, "Look, this is not beats.
These are steps."
But here's what you have to recognize when you are an instructor. Are you
getting the message across? Is the message getting to the receiver? Is the
receiver understanding it? So if you use standard terminology and they
understand it, fine. If you don't use standard terminology and you
use your local community terminology, something you made up, if they understand
it, fine. So, right.
And and again, I'll relate to uh when there were folks that was trying to have
our agenda match the agenda of the progressive world where they
said, "We need to have step sheets. You need to learn and you need to
understand step sheets." Yes, I understand it. I can take that step sheet
and I guarantee you if I brought it back to my class, it would be like me speaking
Russian to them. So, why do I bring something to my audience? And and you know
people as an instructor or as a speaker as a motivational speaker you have to
understand your audience and you have to speak to your audience. So stop trying
to be like other people and stop trying to make other people be like you allow
them to do them. Now if you have some constructive criticism that can help them
by all means share that but don't deny them. Don't denounce them.
And I think there are a lot of people in the soul land line dance world, again,
self-proclaimed spokespersons that are so ready to ridicule and criticize what the
trail ride line dancers or whatever they're called, criticize what they're
doing, and you have no business criticizing them.
Go over there and offer them a word of wisdom. Offer them a helping hand. Show
if you if you so concerned about the step, show them. Tell them. I've seen so
many, oh my god, did you see her doing this? Did you god, did you see her doing
this? Did you see him doing that? Really? What's that about? I agree. So, let
me ask this question
Markis C- Do you think the soul dance uh community want to be commercialized
and put on the platform? Do you want…Do you think we're trying to we want to
remain secretive our our little hood secret to keep the authenticity and the
everything about you know the essence the puress of our thing together still
like what are your opinion on that?
I am Kenny J-“I think it depends on who you ask. Okay, for me, I want the exposure
because I want to be recognized. I want the soul line dance to be recognized.
So I think we can have that exposure. I think we can be recognized and still
have the authenticity. I think we can it still be authentic. So, a lot of folks
in the soul dance community don't even know this, but um I've attended several
and for a while I did it annually progressive um line dance events. And I I am
Kenny J was the link between the soul line dance world and the progressive line
dance world. And I will be honest with you, initially they did not accept us.
We were in a little room, you know, I taught a dance. But as they started learning
and seeing the the excitement that we bring, that audience grew and grew and
grew and they accepted us. And one of the most beautiful things attending that
thing, that event, as again, I'll use the dance “Come Dance With Me.”
So Joe Samanssky choreographed a dance called “Come Dance with Me” to a country
song “Come Dance With Me”. Okay. And I don't know who, but somebody in the soul line dance world put it to Tamia's “Can't
Get Enough”[line dance] and it just blew up. It took off in the soul [line
dance world]. They said it was South… Yeah, they said it was in South Carolina
from what I hear in the soul line dance world. It took off. So then when we
went to this [event]- Joe was someone that frequent this event- and then
there's another guy that um and forgive me forgetting his name. We do a dance
called UK soul stepping. Okay. He's from the United Kingdom. He was there. We
did his dance with a twist on it and and then but the the beauty of it is they
put us in this big old ballroom, black folk and white folk, and they played the
country and western song ”Come Dance with Me”. and they did [the “Come Dance With Me” [progressive line
dance]. And then they called me to the stage next to Joe
and said, "Hey, the soul line dance committee, they do it to this
song." And we did it side by side and black folk and white folk doing that
dance. That’s the link between [soul line dance and progressive line dance.]
And what people don't know, there are a lot of dancers in the soul line dance….
No, let me take that back. There's not a lot, but there are dances in the soul line
dance…. And this is my point that we dance to all genres of music. So there are
some folks the only difference between the progressive line dancers and the
soul line dancers is the predominance of the ethnicity of who's doing the
dances. So they dance to soul music, they dance to R&B, they dance to pop
and so on and so on. But the the point is I don't think we lose authenticity if
we expand, if we get recognized.
So, and again, when I go to those progressive line dance events, they want to
know, oh, let's can we do some soul line dancing? Can we do soul line dancing? Cuz people love it. And I think that's what
happened. That was that's what would happen as we expand. And there in lies the
reason why I went to Good Morning America. There in lies the reason why
I went to the Library of Communist. So I I would think that the majority of the
soul line dance world is all for “let's get that exposure” and and and quite
frankly-while it should not be the number one reason but there's also some
lucrative opportunities. I agree. As we
grow, as we get out into the public, and then I think it's when I talked about
the soul line dance world that we're talking about, the folks that know nothing
of that world. I think if you were to ask them, they would be the ones that
say, "Why we got this show with this? Let's keep it. Keep it for us for
what? What? And do what with it, right? ….
Look, I I named some people and and let
me say this, too. I named some folks and there are some other folks out there.
So, if I didn't say your name, I know I'm going to get that text or that email.
How come you didn't say my name? Charge it to the head, not the heart. But
listen, there are some folks out there that are good at what they do. Choreography,
good at what they do. Dance performance, good at what they do, instructing. But
if we don't take it to that next level, they'll never be recognized for the
talent that they bring to this industry. And they should be. But the only way
they can get recognized appropriately, now don't get me wrong, they're
recognized within the soul line dance community. Everybody knows [them in the
soul line dance community], but okay, they need to be out there in the eyes of
the world. And again, no disrespect to Big Mucci, to Cupid, when people say the
the world knows line dancers, line dance choreographers as Cupid and Big Mucci.
And also, let me say this. I want to give Big Mucci a big shout out because Big
Mucci is in that world that I talked about with Cupid, but he's also in our
international [line dance world] He's a contributor to to what we do as it
relates to soul line dancing as well.
So, I just want put that out there as well. Right. Right.
Right. Yeah.”…
**** ADDENDUM - Celebrating
the legacy of soul line dancing
Good Morning America, Feb 27, 2025
Kenny J and his soul line dancers bring the energy to "GMA" with "Boots on the Ground" as we explore the rich history and resurgence of soul line dancing.
-snip-
total # of YouTube views as of August 25, 2025 at 12:55 AM EDT= 807,510
total # of YouTube comments as of August 25, 2025 at 12:56 AM EDT= 480
️
