Black Cowboy joy is spread by ‘Boots on the Ground’ viral line dance

NEW YORK (AP) — When Tre Little two-stepped in his cowboy boots at the BET Awards preshow this summer, he was overcome with joy and gratitude.

“I used to watch this on TV every year, and I’m now performing,” said the 22-year-old Atlanta-area resident. “I started crying … tears of joy.”

He joined Southern soul singer 803Fresh to perform his accompanying line dance have become an anticipated moment at African American gatherings, like family reunions, weddings, graduations, parties and cookouts.

The “Boots on the Ground” dance, which includes the rhythmic clacking of folding hand fans as the South Carolinian belts “Where them fans at?,” was created by Little during a work lunch break. After hearing a snippet on TikTok, he played around with a routine and posted it, without much thought.

“I usually get my little six views from my family … I took a nap and when I woke up, it was at 100K,” said Little, who is now in demand nationwide teaching line dance classes and hosting events. He has even been approached to create new dances. “It’s bringing people together to do a dance and share laughter.”

Beyoncé incorporated the dance into her record-breaking “Cowboy Carter” tour, and former first lady Michelle Obama and Shaquille O’Neal have publicly participated. Popular line dances are not a new phenomenon, but several factors made this song, which hit No. 1 on both Billboard’s adult R&B airplay and R&B digital song sales charts, spread at an unprecedented pace.

“With the new energy toward country music and trail ride music and African Americans’ presence in it, I think that opened up America’s eyes to what we’ve been doing down in Louisiana and Texas and Mississippi and Alabama for years,” said recording artist Cupid, known as the Line Dance King and creator of the popular “Cupid Shuffle” (2007) song and choreography.

“Their eyes have been opened to line dancing and the unity that it brings,” he said.

A new take on an old tradition

Line dancing features individuals gathered to perform synchronized, repetitive dance moves, generally in lines, and is popular for both socializing and exercise. A major appeal is that there is no age limit or skill requirement, and dances can be learned in real time.

There is no consensus on the origins of line dancing. Some historians trace it to African celebratory tribal dances, which extended to enslaved Black Americans who sang or moved in unison during field work. Other scholars trace it to European immigrants who brought traditional folk dances from their native lands. The country western style is performed to country tunes, while soul line dancing is backed by R&B, soul and hip-hop.

Along with the “Cupid Shuffle,” routines to DJ Casper’s “Cha Cha Slide” (2000) and V.I.C.’s “Wobble” (2008) are canonized in soul line dancing, as well as the most recognized 1972 song, “Electric Boogie (The Electric Slide)” by Marcia Griffiths. But “Boots on the Ground” has introduced trail ride line dancing to many Americans outside of the Southeast.

Trail rides are socialized horseback processionals traveling to a designated location. In Black Southern culture, it is a party atmosphere with food and dancing, including niche music genres like zydeco and Southern soul, which blends R&B, blues, gospel and country.

“People didn’t really know about it. … When something is trending, it makes everybody get on the bandwagon,” said 28-year-old Jakayla Preston, who goes by the handle @_itsjakaylaa on TikTok. A professional dancer, the Houstonian began teaching line dance classes this year after persistent requests from her followers, which intensified following the “Boots on the Ground” boom. Leading classes across the country, she discovered attendance was about more than foot-taps and turns.

“I have people who are struggling and battling with a lot of things … they’ll even sometimes cry and thank me for hosting the class there, or just giving them the experience to be able come and express,” she said. “It’s a feeling that’s indescribable.”

Line dance with the Beyoncé effect

“ Beyoncé probably had a lot to do with that, as far as her ‘Cowboy Carter album,’” said Preston, referring to the attention on trail ride line dancing.

The Grammy’s reigning album of the year sparked conversations about African American contributions to country music and Black cowboy culture, with “Cowboy Carter” tourgoers frequently dressing the part. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, one of the city’s marquee events, broke its attendance record this year, and while there were several factors, many first-timers and social media users said they visited Queen Bey’s hometown to experience what she sang about.

“I never seen — ever — that many people that was out there line dancing,” said Preston, who grew up attending the rodeo. “It’s an amazing sight to see.”

Sharlene Sinegal-DeCuir, chair of African American and Diaspora Studies at Xavier University in New Orleans, said Beyoncé’s impact extends beyond music.

“Country western music: the sound, the banjo, the violin, all those things are African instruments,” said Sinegal-DeCuir, who grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana, line dancing and listening to zydeco. “She’s bringing it to the world to let the world know, no, we’re not just getting into country — we are country.”

The political line (dance) in the sand

Sinegal-DeCuir believes the political climate may have indirectly contributed to the success of “Boots on the Ground” and interest in line dancing. She notes the 92% of Black women who voted against President Donald Trump, whose policies are disproportionately affecting Black Americans, including eliminating DEI programs, federal agency mass layoffs, and cuts to SNAP benefits, Medicare and Medicaid.

“We know how to survive these things because we lean on family, we lean on community, and this joy,” said Sinegal-DeCuir. “The world is burning down, and we’re sitting here learning a new line dance because we’re tired of the political atmosphere … it’s a form of resistance.”

Cupid remembers a pivotal moment during the social justice movement, sparked by the 2020 killing of George Floyd, a Black man who was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer. He saw a video of a tense exchange between protesters and law enforcement at a rally, and “Cupid Shuffle” began playing to ease tensions. More social videos were uploaded during that era showing his song played at protests across America.

“I realized the importance of it, as far as connecting two people that don’t even see eye to eye,” said the “Flex” artist, who is readying a new album next month that he says will be the first all-line-dance album. “If you had to pick three songs that could bring people on two opposite sides of the fence together for a moment, then line dancing is definitely those types of songs.”

“I don’t think there’s any other genre more powerful than line dance,” he added.

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Follow Associated Press entertainment journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton at @GaryGHamilton on all his social media platforms.