The Creative Use Of Handkerchiefs In African American (Soul) Line Dancing - From Sweat Cloths To Dance Movement Embellishment, Part II

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series that presents a YouTube video compilation about the custom during African American (soul) line dancing of holding, waving, twirling, and otherwise manipulating hand held handkerchiefs, small towels, and other cloth items during line dance routines.

I refer to these cloth items as "dance cloths".

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/09/a-youtube-video-compilation-of-creative.html for Part I of this pancocojams series.

These posts showcase YouTube video examples of this African American (soul) line dance custom of mostly men line dancers holding, twirling, and otherwise manipulating a  handkerchief, scarf, or some other type of cloth as embellishment of the way that they perform that particular dance routine.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/09/information-about-dancing-and-waving.html for Part I of a four part pancocojams series about Ghanaian, Togolese, Nigerian (and other African cultures) customs of waving or twirling white handkerchiefs while dancing or while worshipping in church. I believe that these West African and Central African source of the custom of African Americans dancing with (mostly white colored) handkerchiefs. The links to the other posts in that series are given in each of these posts.

The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

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A VIDEO COMPILATION OF THE CREATIVE USE OF HANDKERCHIEFS AND OTHER "DANCE CLOTHS" IN AFRICAN AMERICAN (SOUL) LINE DANCING [PART II-2022-2026] 

DISCLAIMER-  This compilation isn't meant to be a comprehensive documentation of the subject of the use of creative use of handkerchiefs and other cloths/towels in soul line dancing.

This post also doesn't mean to imply that this African American custom of holding and waving a handkerchief or some other cloth while dancing originated with soul line dancing. My guess is that this custom dates from enslaved Black American dances such as the ring shout. 

Please share YouTube video links in the discussion section for this post for early examples of this custom. Thanks you.

****
I conducted this informal YouTube video review in September 2026 for this soul line dancing custom of  holding a  handkerchief while dancing. 2011 was my the start date since that was the earliest date that I came across on YouTube for this custom. 

It also appears to me that the custom of Soul line dancing holding a handkerchief or another type of dance cloth is becoming rarer and rarer. (Females holding a handkerchief while soul line dancing seems to have already been rare by 2011).

Even when more male Soul line dancers held a handkerchief while dancing, that custom wasn't followed by all the male dancers. Yet, it does appear to me that nowadays (2025 and 2026) more male dancers are holding fans or not holding anything than are holding a handkerchief.

**
I've found that the publishers of African American (soul) line dance videos usually feature the same group of line dancers. That means that the dancers (usually men) who are shown holding handkerchiefs or another type of dance cloth in one video that is published by that person are almost always shown holding handkerchiefs or another type of dance cloth in other videos published by that same person. 

**

In contrast to Part I of this pancocojams series, I'm not including any descriptions of the ways that these line dancers embellish their dance moves by twirling, waving, or otherwise manipulating their dance cloths in front of them or behind them. 

Instead, selected comments from the discussion thread for these videos are presented after each video. 

These selected examples are given in chronological order with the earliest example given first. 

SHOWCASE VIDEO #1 -FLEX LINE DANCE



Jero Green, May 17, 2022

"Flex Line Dance

Choreographed by CUPID

Artist CUPID

Song FLEX"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjR3SUz-M10
-snip-
This video shows line dancers at a white party. In the United States,  a "white party" is a usually formal or semi-formal occasion when attendees are expected to only wear clothing that is the color white.

Here are selected comments from this video's discussion thread. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.

1. @warrenwatson6589,2023
"Always that one dude that gotta be extra lol"

**
Reply
2. @JamesTheBaddie, 2023
"You can tell he got some serious moves. When you're a dancer, you can't help but add your own swag."

**
Reply
3. @porchlightchronicles220, 2023
"He's the one that makes it fun... it's a catchy dance. Lol 😂"

**
Reply
4. @ctya72, 2023
"He's needed. Lol"

**
Reply
5. @londagail3402, 2023
"He makes it not to be an ordinary line dance 🕺🏾"

**
Reply
6. @blackqueen2me396, 2023
"Love it"

**
Reply
7. @Mr.Staggers, 2024
"Me. I have to be that one to add a lil sum sum on the end. Lolzzzzzzz"

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO #2- THIS LINE DANCE IS PRETTY SMOOTH 😍
 So KOLD LINE DANCE



Frances - Lady Snapshot 😍, Nov 22, 2022  SONS OF ITALY LODGE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYTabBaFZuw
-snip-
Here are two comments from this video's discussion thread. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.

1. @theresac2944, 2023
"I am obsessed with your videos!- so much love and fun goes into your dancing Mr. Kold  Always a class act ,choreography,music and clothes ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️"

**
2. @patriciaduarte7039, 2023
"Yes.  Groovin' song 🎶 & line dance.  Kold & Lady Glam you're the best, smooth moves and dance steps.  Thanks for video Frances."

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - I Don't Need It (Jaime Foxx) Line Dance

Tomika Brooks, May 19, 2023

Choreographer: Jero Kold Green [information added by a commenter]

Song: I Don't Need It

Artist: Jaime Foxx

Performed by: Hallback's Dress & Cover Crew"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6Szcn_BcYs
-snip-
Here are two comments from this video's discussion thread (with numbers added for referencing purposes only)

1. @Mizzshron82, 2025
"It’s so many versions of this but this is the one i know ❤️‍❤️‍❤️‍

**
2. @joyl332, 2026
"Lots of version but like this one bec of clap, kick and dip roll !!"

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO #4 - OOH WEE LINE DANCE



Jero Green, Apr 24, 2026

"Choreographed by Jero KOLD Green

Artist MS YANNI

Song OOH WEE"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2Qonox8M_8
-snip-
This video has no comments as of September 3, 2026. 

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #5 - 🤍 Five Mo Minutes Line Dance at the White Party! 💃🏾🕺🏾 #LineDance



@LineDancingwithmaya, Jun 11, 2026

"Get ready to hit the dance floor! 🤍✨ We brought the energy to the White Party with the popular Five Mo Minutes Line Dance. Watch the crowd step, slide, and groove as the caller keeps everyone moving with the dance instructions. If you love line dancing, soul line dancing, and party vibes, this one is for you! 

Whether you’re learning the dance, looking for line dance inspiration, or just enjoying the atmosphere, you’ll love the energy in this video. 

📍 White Party Line Dance Event

🎵 Song: Five Mo Minutes

💃🏾 Featuring an amazing crowd of line dancers having a great time

#LineDancingWithMaya #FiveMoMinutes #LineDance #WhiteParty #SoulLineDancing #LineDanceCommunity #DanceFloorVibes #BlackLineDancing #PartyDance #StepInTheNameOfLove #DanceChallenge #LineDancers #SouthernSoul #DanceVideo #JacksonvilleLineDance"

https://youtube.com/shorts/sH36HyV95tQ?si=Sn9yd_B59T5EyFIl
-snip-
Here are two comments from this video's discussion thread (with numbers added for referencing purposes only)

1. @tdc4christ, 2026
"Smooth!"

**
2. @glorialowrie9626, 2026
"💃👠🕺👞💃👠🕺Old School you Are Looking Real Good 🕺👠💃👞🕺👠💃👞" 

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO #6- Wipe it Down Line Dance 

Sharita Pippins aka RED and SandM Line Dancers, Feb 6, 2026  #linedance

This is a community fun day that I do each year in August for my community. I pay for everything and give back to my Flint community [Michigan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfb2R_djW3Q
-snip-
A woman is line dancing with a long red dance cloth.

There are no comments yet for this video.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #7 - #12 John Woodhouse - We Cappin' Line Dance Event Chicago

Dee Mohaugany, Aug 29, 2026

Music- Lay It Down by Dwele

Some Kinda. (album)"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYhu_AvEYTU
-snip-
This video doesn't have any comments yet.

Notice the woman dancing in the front who is holding a small fan (not the popping style fan) that she uses to fan herself while she line dances. Also, notice that she carries a very small handkerchief in hr other hand. My guess is that that handkerchief isn't for aesthetic pur[oses, but is actually intended to wipe off any sweat.

Also notice the man in the blue shirt and blue pants who is line dancing with a long white towel slumped over one shoulder. That towel is also probably not what I refer to as a "dance cloth" since a dance cloth since it (even more than the small handkerchief that the woman is carrying) is probably not intended for aesthetic purposes.

I think that the other examples of dance cloths in this two part pancocojams video compilation were intended for aesthetic purposes, even if some of them may have also been used to wipe off the dancer's sweat.

****
This concludes Part II of this pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome. 

The Creative Use Of Handkerchiefs In African American (Soul) Line Dancing - From Sweat Cloths To Dance Movement Embellishment, Part I

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest update - September 4, 2026

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series that presents a YouTube video compilation about the custom during African American (soul) line dancing of holding, waving, twirling, and otherwise manipulating hand held handkerchiefs, small towels, and other cloth items during line dance routines.

I refer to these cloth items as "dance cloths".

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/09/the-creative-use-of-handkerchiefs-in.html for Part II of this pancocojams series.

These posts showcase YouTube video examples of this African American (soul) line dance custom of mostly men line dancers holding, twirling, and otherwise manipulating a dance cloth as embellishment of the way that they perform that particular dance routine.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/09/information-about-dancing-and-waving.html for Part I of a four part pancocojams series about Ghanaian, Togolese, Nigerian (and other African cultures) customs of waving or twirling white handkerchiefs while dancing or while worshipping in church. I believe that these West African and Central African source of the custom of African Americans dancing with (mostly white colored) handkerchiefs. The links to the other posts in that series are given in each of these posts.

The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

****
A VIDEO COMPILATION OF THE CREATIVE USE OF HANDKERCHIEFS AND OTHER "DANCE CLOTHS" IN AFRICAN AMERICAN (SOUL) LINE DANCING [PART i: 2011-2018]

DISCLAIMER- This compilation isn't meant to be a comprehensive documentation of the subject of the use of creative use of handkerchiefs and other cloths/towels in soul line dancing.

This post also doesn't mean to imply that this African American custom of holding and waving a handkerchief or some other cloth while dancing originated with soul line dancing. My guess is that this custom dates from enslaved Black American dances such as the ring shout. 

Please share YouTube video links for early examples of this custom in the discussion section for this post . Thanks.

****
I conducted this informal YouTube video review in September 2026 for this soul line dancing custom of  holding a  handkerchief while dancing. 2011 was my the start date since that was the earliest date that I came across on YouTube for this custom. 

It also appears to me that the custom of Soul line dancing holding a handkerchief or another type of dance cloth is becoming rarer and rarer. (Females holding a handkerchief while soul line dancing seems to have already been rare by 2011).

Even when more male Soul line dancers held a handkerchief while dancing, that custom wasn't followed by all the male dancers. Yet, it does appear to me that nowadays (2025 and 2026) more male dancers are holding fans or not holding anything than are holding a handkerchief.

**
I've found that the publishers of African American (soul) line dance videos usually feature the same group of line dancers. That means that the dancers (usually men) who are shown holding handkerchiefs or another type of dance cloth in one video that is published by that person are almost always shown holding handkerchiefs or another type of dance cloth in other videos published by that same person. 

**
These selected examples are given in chronological order with the earliest example given first. My brief description of the presence of one or more "dance clothes" in each video is given below that video.

SHOWCASE VIDEO #1 -Zydeco shuffle

Jeterated, Feb 4, 2011

Music "It's Allrite" by J Paul and the Zydeco New Breed

NC's Largest Line Dance Party 1-22-11 [North Carolina]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMWMGreKPdI
-snip-
A woman dancer in the center of the front line is holding a bottle of water in one hand and a large black cloth in her other hand. She’s the only dancer with a cloth. At certain parts of the song while she is dancing she briefly twirls the cloth above her head.

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO #2- "Let's Get It Poppin'" Soul Line Dance

Tamar “LADYT” Simmons, May 6, 2011

"Fun new beginner soul line dance. Choreographer: Bernadette Burnette, Philadelphia, PA. Music:" "Get It Poppin'" by Fat Joe featuring Nelly. Copyright: Warner Music Group. Soul Line Dance Video Performed at Elk's Lodge, 7350 Temple Hill Road, Camp Springs, Maryland. Thursday Night Line Dance Party Hosted by DJ Lady D. Instructor: Candy Djsweets Truss. Thursday, May 5, 2011. Dance originally showcased at The Stepper's Weekend in Miami 2011. Videographer: Adrienne Jenkins."
-snip-
In the beginning of this video, a woman dancer stands on the dance floor with other line dancers and wipes her face with a red cloth. Presumably, she did this after one line dance before this line dance showcased in the video begins. (Note that most of the dance cloths that I've seen in YouTube videos are the color white.)  

There are only a few male dancers in this group. This woman is the only one in this group with a dance cloth. This performance occurred before hand held fans became a popular item in soul line dancing. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-GkiANyWdk

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - "DO IT WITH YOUR BOOTS" ON SHUFFLE 07 16 13



thearchiebexperience, Sep 24, 2013

THE ARCHIE B. EXPERIENCE LINE DANCERS DOING

DANCE: "DO IT WITH YOUR BOOTS ON" CREATED BY CUPID

SONG:  "DO IT WITH YOUR BOOTS ON" BY CUPID

"Join us at The Archie B. Experience Line Dancing if you want to meet people, exercise mind & body, and just have fun learning soul line dances in a "NO ONE LEFT BEHIND ATMOSPHERE". We meet every Tuesday, 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM( line dance w/ instruction), then 7:30 PM- 9:00 PM (non-stop line dancing) at UPTOWN 78 LOUNGE, 8280 FM 78, Converse, TX, 78109"…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_86ZkoJgsJU
-snip-
This instructor described this dance as a “country zydeco”.

The instructor in the video describes the clicking heels step as “Dorothy” (in reminisce of The Wizard Of Oz book, play, and movie character who had to click her heels three times to return home to Kansas). After that step is done, the dancers wave their dance cloth over their head in time with the 1-2 beat.
-snip-
This YouTube video is an outlier since I haven't come across any other African American (Soul) line dance video where each dancer has her or his own dance cloth.

Holding handkerchiefs and other types of dance cloths was a custom in Soul line dancing before the custom of  holding fans that were [are] popped to add to the music being danced to.

In contrast to the variety of the almost always solid colors of these hand held popping fans, the handkerchiefs/dance cloths in Soul line dancing were [are] almost always  the solid color white, or the solid color black or the solid color red.

This video is also unique because of the dancers perform with a handkerchief  that is the solid color blue, or yellow, or (in one case) the solid color orange.

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO #4 - TRIPLE ABC LINEDANCE CREATED BY JOHN WOODHOUSE



GOLDIE MOJICA, Jul 29, 2018

"SOUTHSIDE STEPPERS 10TH ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND SATURDAY JULY 28 2018" [Chicago Illinois ?]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLw1uzk4nsY
-snip-
Notice that one man in the front has a large white dance cloth and a large white towel hanging from his pocket A dancer who had [has] a towel hanging from his (or her) back or side pocket signifies that the dancer needs something to wipe off the sweat because he or she really "gets down" on the dance floor (i.e. he or she really gets funky- in both meanings of the word "funky")

That dancer and the male instructor/caller in the center of the first line are the only ones who are holding anything except for a woman dancer who fans herself with a yellow fan. Notice that she doesn’t "pop" her fan.

****
ADDENDUM - TWO BONUS VIDEOS

This bonus video doesn't show any line dancer performing while holding a handkerchief or another type of dance cloth. However, I'm showcasing it for the points mentioned in my comments below the video.

BONUS VIDEO #1- Bus Stop 7 25 15

brjohn11, Jul 27, 2015

"Denise Bryant "Music2Your Feet", teaching Bus Stop at DJ Freckles line dance work shop at the Hampton Inn in Stafford Va [Virginia]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqjcIE6XM4g
-snip-
In the very beginning of this video a male dancer is shown wiping his face with his handkerchief.  However, I don't think that he is shown line dancing in this video.

Notice that in this video a woman is holding a fan while she is line dancing. However, she isn't popping the fan (opening it and quickly closing it so that it makes a brief popping/ clicking sound. Instead, she’s just constantly fanning herself through a portion of that dance. In another portion of the dance she shuts the fan and dances while holding it shut.

Notice that the woman showcased in Video #4 in this pancocojams video compilation is also just holding her fan or fanning herself and not "popping" her fan. It's likely that these were the ways that hand held fans were first used in African American "soul" line dancing. However, the "popping fan" motion was probably relatively commonly done before the "Pop That Fan" song became popular.

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BONUS VIDEO #2 - SO KOLD LINE DANCE *☆ The Smooth Groove Heritage Award 2018

.

 Lady Snapshot, Aug 27, 2018  PHILADELPHIA

Song-Music ,By Walter Beasley.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5GXRrMdGK8
-snip-
This is a video of Jero 'Kold' Green (also known as "Mr. Kold") and Lady Glam performing Chicago stepping at a white party (a party where everyone wears clothing that is the color white). Notice that Mr. Kold is holding a white handkerchief.

****
This concludes Part I of this two part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.