“Boots on the Ground”: Line Dancing as Black Joy, Resistance, and Continuity

From TikTok to Tradition

What started as a fun lunchtime dance has turned into a movement. When Jaterrious “Trè” Little of Georgia first recorded himself doing the Boots on the Ground routine—a line dance choreographed to the Southern soul song by 803Fresh—he thought little of it. His TikTok clip had six views at first. By the next morning, it had exploded to more than 100,000.

With its crisp fan clacks and rolling two-step, Boots on the Ground has swept through family reunions, graduations, weddings, cookouts, classrooms, and trail rides across the South. Beyoncé featured it during her Cowboy Carter tour, while Michelle Obama, Shaquille O’Neal, and countless community groups have joined in.

But to understand why this line dance struck such a chord, you have to know the roots it’s standing on.

The Deeper Lineage of Line Dancing

Line dancing is more than a party routine—it’s part of a much older story of movement and survival. Its roots stretch back to African communal traditions, where circle dances and collective steps told stories, built bonds, and carried spiritual power. These rhythms crossed the Atlantic with enslaved Africans, transforming into practices like the Ring Shout—a circle of bodies, voices, and percussion that blended worship with defiance.

In New Orleans, the famed Congo Square became a place where Black people preserved their rhythms through movement under the watchful eye of slaveholders. Over time, these traditions merged with European folk styles, birthing something new, distinctly Black, and profoundly communal.

By the 20th century, that lineage showed up in Black American line dances at parties, reunions, and church socials. From the Hustle to the Electric Slide, the Cupid Shuffle to the Cha Cha Slide, these dances were never just about fun—they were about belonging. They gave everyone, young and old, a way to participate, to be seen, and to connect across generations.

Boots on the Ground and Black Southern Trail Ride Culture

Boots on the Ground adds another layer to this legacy. Its sound and setting come directly from Black Southern trail ride culture—gatherings that mix horseback riding, zydeco and soul music, Southern food, and plenty of line dancing. This culture, deeply tied to Black cowboy traditions, has long thrived outside the mainstream spotlight. Now, with this viral dance, it’s finally receiving the recognition it deserves.

As one Houston dance instructor noted, teaching the routine often brings people to tears. For many, learning and moving together becomes therapy—an outlet for joy, grief, and resilience. That’s what line dancing has always been: a way to carry history, to release what weighs us down, and to celebrate life even when the world tries to deny us joy.

Why It Matters

In an age of division and constant stress, Boots on the Ground offers something ancient and healing: joy in unison. It’s a reminder that when we move together—step by step, clap by clap—we affirm not just the beat but the bond.

As cultural historian Sharlene Sinegal-DeCuir puts it, “We are not just getting into country—we are country.” Black culture has always been at the center of American innovation, and Boots on the Ground is another proof of that truth.

Line dances may look simple, but they carry deep wisdom: everyone can join, no one is left out, and the community is stronger when we move as one. That’s why these dances keep returning, generation after generation, from the Ring Shout to the Electric Slide to the latest TikTok trend.

The Lasting Beat

So the next time you step into a line dance, remember—you’re not just following steps. You’re joining a living tradition that has carried our people through centuries.

Boots on the Ground isn’t just viral. It’s vital. It’s history, joy, resilience, and pride—moving together, in rhythm, for all the world to see.

Read the full AP Service, "Boots on the Ground" article with videos and interviews here.