Some Differences In 2026 Between African American Urban Soul Line Dancing And African American Trail Ride (Country) Line Dancing

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents my thoughts about the differences in 2026* between African American urban soul line dancing and African American trail ride (country) line dancing.

This post also showcases several video examples of these two different types of soul line dancing.

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and educational purposes 

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these showcase videos. Thanks also to all those whose are quoted in this post.  

* I emphasize the year that I'm publishing this post because since the 2020 mega hit of the trail ride song/dance "Boots On The Ground" there has been and continues to be a lot of overlapping between trail ride soul line dancing and urban soul dancing. Therefore, the differences between these two types of African American line dancing that I believe exist now may not be exist a few years later.

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DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AFRICAN AMERICAN URBAN SOUL LINE DANCING AND AFRICAN AMERICAN TRAIL RIDE (COUNTRY) LINE DANCING

These points are given in no particular order.

Additions and corrections are welcome.


Population
Trail ride dancers are usually younger than urban line dancers. 

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Music
Trail ride soul line dancing is usually performed to Southern Soul music.

Trail ride soul line dancing was performed to Zydeco music. However, that type of trail ride dancing appears to rarely be performed in 2026 outside of Louisiana and Texas  

Trail ride dancing may also be performed to R&B/Hip Hop music (except for slow R&B music such as Tamia's "Can't Get Enough" line dance which is a soul line dance staple).

Urban soul line dance may also be performed to African American Gospel music. Trail ride soul line dancing isn't performed to that music genre.  

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Dance styles
Trail ride line dancing is bouncier (more high energy) than urban soul line dancing.

Urban soul line dancing is smoother and consists of more choreography and four wall turns than trail ride line dancing.

Trail ride line dancing includes more stomping than urban soul line dancing.

Trail ride line dancing includes much more female (and male) butt shaking than urban soul line dancing.

Trail ride line dancing may include some movements that were considered and still are considered "nasty" dance moves (such as the raised leg "walking the dog" movement). 

Most trail ride soul line dances and urban soul line dances are performed by people standing in horizontal lines. However, one type of trail ride line dancing is performed in a single line formation that moves counter-clockwise in a circle. 
 
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Attire (clothing)
Trail rider line dancers dress much more casually (informally) than African American urban line dancers.

In 2026, the usual attire for female trail ride line dancers is cut off (short) blue jean shorts with a t-shirt, shirts with the Stepper group name, sweat shirts, but not blouses, with cowboy boots or hard sole shoes (not tennis shoes). Alternatively, some female trail ride line dancers wear green or brown (or green and brown) camouflage patterned shorts, tops and/or pants.

Male trail ride dancers may wear blue jean pants with a t-shirt, sweat shirts, or other types of shirt (but not formal shirts). Male trail ride dancers may wear camouflage patterned pants or tops or some other informal attire (but not shorts). 

In keeping with the popular contemporary styles for young females in the United States, the outfits that female trail ride line dancers wear often have holes, jagged lines, and/or hanging lines. Female trail ride line dancers also may wear [fake] cowgirl/ Indian fringes on their clothing. Female and male trail ride line dancers may wear cowgirl/cowgirls boots and cowgirl/cowboy hats.

Female trail ride line dancers rarely wear dresses or skirts with blouses.

Male trail ride line dancers never wear suits or sports jackets/dress pants.    

Trail ride line dancers don't all wear the same color outfit as is the custom at urban soul line dancing "white parties".  
("White parties" are dressy events where dancers are supposed to only wear clothing that is the color white. This custom was lifted from other White party social events that weren't [aren't] associated with line dancing. )

Accessories
Folding/popping fans can be an accessory for female and males in trail ride soul line dancing or in urban soul line dancing. However, in 2026 in appears that these fans are more often found in trail ride soul line dancing than in urban soul line dancing.

Handkerchiefs or other dance cloths used to be held by some male and (much less often) some female urban line dancers. However, it appears that holding and otherwise manipulating a handkerchief while soul line dancing is being replaced or has already been replaced by dancers holding/popping folding fans. That handkerchief  custom doesn't appear to have been a feature of urban soul dancing (particularly in the Northern region of the United States).   

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SOME VIDEO EXAMPLES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN URBAN DANCING 

SHOWCASE VIDEO #1 - THE BIKERS SHUFFLE (MILWAUKEE VERSION)

Park Hill Films, Dec 15, 2011

BIG MUCCI COMES TO MILWAUKEE TO PERFORM HIS SMASH HIT AND DANCE THE BIKER SHUFFLE MADE ESPECIALLY FOR MILWAUKEE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwJ66XxGBFk&t=17s

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Flex Line Dance .💕😍❣️

Lady Snapshot, May 30, 2023  TAMPA BAY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9Wuh1gH7Ng

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - Tamia Line Dance Can't Get Enough



IcedPink, Oct 28, 2022

BEST TAMIA LINE DANCE VIDEO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9HRyzdlQCk

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SOME VIDEO EXAMPLES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN TRAIL RIDE DANCING

SHOWCASE VIDEO #1- 803Fresh - Boots On The Ground (Official Music Video) "Where Them Fans At?"

803Fresh, May 15, 2025  #803Fresh #BootsOnTheGround #WhenThemFansAt

803Fresh - Boots On The Ground (Official Music Video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQxQZV66Bl8

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Country Girl (Trail Ride) Line Dance

Line Dancing With Terressa

Jan 24, 2025

Choreographers: Essence Bone & Jai Knight

Song: Country Girl

Artist: Toni Armani

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZihkSYPBNKE&t=16s 

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - FOLLOW ME

Yaya Rodriguz, Nov 18, 2024

Steppas dancing to the song “Follow Me” by Aly-us

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABwedTa3D7g&t=65s
-snip-
"Steppas" used to be a general referent that African American urban line dancers used for African American trail ride line dancing.

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A 2025 YouTube Video Of The Soul Line Dance "Finna Get Loose" That Includes Old African American Dance Movements From "Ball That Jack" & From "Walking The Dog"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part III of a three part pancocojams series about the hit 1963 song "Walking The Dog" and the dance "Walking The Dog".

This post showcases a 2025 African American trail ride (country) YouTube video of "Finna Get Loose" that features movements from the early 20th century/1940s jazz dance "Ballin The Jack" and the 1960s dance "Walking The Dog". This trail ride video is compared with a 2025 African American urban soul line dance video of "Finna Get Loose" that doesn't include those movements. 

The comment sections of these YouTube videos don't refer to the way these soul line dances are performed.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/09/rufus-thomas-1963-hit-r-record-walking.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post showcases two YouTube videos of Rufus Thomas performing his song "Walking The Dog" along with selected comments from the discussion threads of those videos.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/09/how-walking-dog-bulldog-dog-r-dances.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post showcases two YouTube videos of how the "Walking The Dog" dance was performed in the 1960s. That post also includes selected comments from those video's discussion threads about how the "Walking The Dog" dance in the 1960s.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the recording artists whose music is featured in these showcased videos. Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube. 
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/09/some-differences-in-2026-between.html for the closely related pancocojams post "Some Differences In 2026 Between African American Urban Soul Line Dancing And African American Trail Ride (Country) Line Dancing".

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WHAT "FINNA GET LOOSE" MEANS
"Finna" is an African American Vernacular English word that means preparing to do something very soon ("getting ready to" ;"about to"). The African American Vernacular English word "fixin'" has the same meaning.
 
"Get loose" is an African American Vernacular English term that means "loose all restraints"; "get wild", "do whatever I want to do".

In the context of dancing, "finna get loose" may mean that the dancer is getting ready to show off his or her best dance moves; he or she is about to "break it [all] down".

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #1 - Finna Get Loose Line Dance

Line Dancing With Terressa, Mar 7, 2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1ANyLC0Hsw&t=158s
-snip-
This is an example of a trail ride (country) soul line dance version of the "Finna Get Loose" line dance.

Read https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/09/what-ball-jack-and-other-vernacular.html for information about the African American social dance move referred to as "Ball That Jack". Also, read Part I and part II of this pancocojams series for descriptions of the African American dance moves called "Walking The Dog". 

An example of a "Ball The Jack" dance movement is found at __ in this video.

An example of a "Walking The Dog" dance move is found at __ in this video.

[Additions and corrections are welcome.]

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Finna Get Loose Line Dance.

 Lady Snapshot, Jun 20, 2024  TAMPA [Florida]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MFl5rzn9Qg&t=33s
-snip-
The line dancing begins around 2:44 in this video.

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This concludes Part III of this three part pancocojams series.

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