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 massive viral hit, “Boots on the Ground.” Released in December, the trail ride-inspired song and 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.
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.”
