When Tamia came across a video on YouTube of people line dancing to her 2006 song “Can’t Get Enough of You,” she and her husband, NBA legend Grant Hill, decided to join in the fun and learn the dance.
Her daughter recorded the couple in 2022 as they celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary with the dance. The R&B star posted their video of the “Tamia Line Dance,” as it’s become known, and soon enough the video caught on, putting the spotlight on line dancing. This decadeslong pastime in Black communities has been celebrated everywhere from weddings to family reunions to impromptu backyard hangs.
“We were kind of having fun and it just turned into this bigger thing,” said Tamia, who calls herself a “very amateur” line dancer. “There’s joy in the learning of line dances. Once you get it, there’s joy in doing it together. It’s an artist’s dream to give people joy. But I’ve been given back joy as well.”
Line dancing has grown in popularity, spurred on by social media, where new steps and songs composed for new dances spread quickly. Posts by people of all ages dancing anywhere from dark clubs to open fields find their way online.
April Berry, a former principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and now a master dance instructor and arts administrator in Pittsburgh, says there is joy in dancing.
“That sense of being together and moving together as one is really where the joy comes from,” says Berry. “When you talk about Black joy, you talk about being motivated, being lifted out of hard times. That’s why people get together to dance.”
“That sense of doing the same steps together, whatever dance it is, creates a sense of holistic well-being,” added Berry. “Dancing together bonds us together.”
Aaisha Peterson, a certified nutritionist, discovered the healing power of line dancing after her mother, a well-known teacher and line dancer in the Cleveland area, died in May 2023.
“I wanted to line dance at least once a week to honor her,” said Peterson, 32. “It reawakened a joy in me. It became therapy for me.”
She invited Devin J. Butler, a fitness trainer and former professional dancer, to go out with her one night. “He was on the dance floor with me dancing as loud as I dance and I knew he was my person,” Peterson said.
The couple teaches line dancing through Line Dance Is My Therapy, encouraging participants to “dance loud, as long as you are enjoying yourself.”
Business has grown because of their videos online, including the “Boots on the Ground” dance and Peterson’s favorite, “Some Enchanted Evening,” named after a Temptations song, or Butler’s favorites, “Cupid Flex” and “Chicago Style.”
They call out dance steps and also perform line dances with hand-held fans.
“The fans add fun and energy,” says Peterson.
People snap the fans open on certain beats. Some dancers have custom fans that light up or are decorated with glitter or emblazoned with their names.
“You’ll notice that some people who are sitting and eating while a song is playing, will hit their fans while eating their chicken,” says Butler, 35. “It’s just a part of the culture.”
The TruKuntry Steppas in Dalzell, South Carolina, indulge in a Western culture that evolved after its founder, Donna Dawson, was inspired by a saddle club’s trail ride and line dancing event.
“We started with maybe 15 people and now we have about 70 members,” Dawson said.
Because there are so many members, they may wind up dancing outside, unable to find a place large enough to accommodate everyone.
“My church has a field with a lot of acreage. Sometimes people come to my house and we go outside to dance,” said Dawson, 54. “On Thursdays, we go to the S Bar in Columbia, S.C.”
Since there are youth members of the Steppas, she tries to plan the events as often as possible for places where children can go. Dawson networks with some 80 other line dancing groups in the South, including clubs in her state, and in North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama and Texas. Each club has its own logo and clothing. Some have music composers who write songs and choreographers who compose line dances to go along with them. The clubs exchange dances and learn from one another by posting dances on social media. They also visit each other occasionally.
“The line dances we do are more upscale than the old ‘Electric Slide,’” Dawson laughed.
“Line dancing is a stress reliever,” she added. “It gives you peace of mind and takes you away from the outside world. Once you start line dancing, nothing else matters.”
Dawson’s son Deonte Wilson initially tried to dismiss his mother’s love for line dancing.
“I used to try to act hard,” recalled Wilson, 25. “But I went to the first event and had the time of my life. Everybody was so welcoming. I didn’t even know the dances, but they’d grab me and take me over to the side and teach me.”
Wilson said he’s enjoyed the community aspect of the events — and the food. “There’s no drama, no fights,” he said. “Everyone is like one big family.”
And the family has expanded. After sharing a few videos on social media, Wilson said his friends regularly join him for line dancing events.
Nikki Echols, who co-owns 196 Events in Hampton Roads, Virginia, said couples typically request line dances for their weddings. “Make sure you and your guests are familiar with the dance before the big day,” said Echols, who runs the business with her husband, Devail Echols. “Learning on the spot can disrupt the flow and dim the energy. Avoid back-to-back line dance songs. Even the most enthusiastic dancers need a break.”
Kennedy and Don Mitchell were assured their wedding would definitely include line dancing, which Kennedy had enjoyed with her mother growing up.
“My mom is from the South,” she said. “Line dancing was prevalent in our family reunions and family gatherings.”
To prepare, she and her mother watched YouTube videos to learn the Tamia dance. “I wanted to be ready,” she said, “because I knew when it played, everyone would rush to the dance floor.”
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