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NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 When Tre Little two-stepped in his cowboy boots at the BET Awards preshow this summer<\/a>, he was overcome with joy and gratitude.<\/p>\n \u201cI used to watch this on TV every year, and I\u2019m now performing,\u201d said the 22-year-old Atlanta-area resident. \u201cI started crying \u2026 tears of joy.\u201d<\/p>\n He joined Southern soul singer 803Fresh to perform his massive viral hit, \u201cBoots on the Ground.\u201d<\/a> Released in December, the trail ride-inspired song and accompanying line dance<\/a> have become an anticipated moment at African American gatherings<\/a>, like family reunions, weddings, graduations, parties and cookouts<\/a>.<\/p>\n The \u201cBoots on the Ground\u201d dance, which includes the rhythmic clacking of folding hand fans as the South Carolinian belts \u201cWhere them fans at?,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI usually get my little six views from my family \u2026 I took a nap and when I woke up, it was at 100K,\u201d said Little, who is now in demand nationwide teaching line dance classes and hosting events. He has even been approached to create new dances. \u201cIt\u2019s bringing people together to do a dance and share laughter.\u201d<\/p>\n Beyonc\u00e9 incorporated the dance into her record-breaking \u201cCowboy Carter\u201d tour,<\/a> and former first lady Michelle Obama and Shaquille O\u2019Neal 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the new energy toward country music and trail ride music and African Americans’ presence in it, I think that opened up America\u2019s eyes to what we\u2019ve been doing down in Louisiana and Texas and Mississippi and Alabama for years,\u201d said recording artist Cupid, known as the Line Dance King and creator of the popular \u201cCupid Shuffle\u201d (2007) song and choreography.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir eyes have been opened to line dancing and the unity that it brings,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n A new take on an old tradition<\/p>\n Line dancing features individuals gathered<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Along with the \u201cCupid Shuffle,\u201d routines to DJ Casper\u2019s \u201cCha Cha Slide\u201d (2000) and V.I.C.\u2019s \u201cWobble\u201d (2008) are canonized in soul line dancing, as well as the most recognized 1972 song, \u201cElectric Boogie (The Electric Slide)\u201d by Marcia Griffiths. But \u201cBoots on the Ground\u201d has introduced trail ride line dancing to many Americans outside of the Southeast.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople didn\u2019t really know about it. \u2026 When something is trending, it makes everybody get on the bandwagon,\u201d 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 \u201cBoots on the Ground\u201d boom. Leading classes across the country, she discovered attendance was about more than foot-taps and turns.<\/p>\n \u201cI have people who are struggling and battling with a lot of things \u2026 they\u2019ll even sometimes cry and thank me for hosting the class there, or just giving them the experience to be able come and express,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a feeling that\u2019s indescribable.\u201d<\/p>\n Line dance with the Beyonc\u00e9 effect<\/p>\n \u201c Beyonc\u00e9 probably had a lot to do with that<\/a>, as far as her \u2018Cowboy Carter album,’\u201d said Preston, referring to the attention on trail ride line dancing.<\/p>\n The Grammy\u2019s reigning album of the year<\/a> sparked conversations about African American contributions to country music and Black cowboy culture, with \u201cCowboy Carter\u201d tourgoers frequently dressing the part. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, one of the city\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI never seen \u2014 ever \u2014 that many people that was out there line dancing,\u201d said Preston, who grew up attending the rodeo. \u201cIt\u2019s an amazing sight to see.\u201d<\/p>\n Sharlene Sinegal-DeCuir, chair of African American and Diaspora Studies at Xavier University in New Orleans, said Beyonc\u00e9’s impact extends beyond music.<\/p>\n \u201cCountry western music: the sound, the banjo, the violin, all those things are African instruments,\u201d said Sinegal-DeCuir, who grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana, line dancing and listening to zydeco. \u201cShe\u2019s bringing it to the world to let the world know, no, we\u2019re not just getting into country \u2014 we are country.\u201d<\/p>\n The political line (dance) in the sand<\/p>\n Sinegal-DeCuir believes the political climate<\/a> may have indirectly contributed to the success of \u201cBoots on the Ground\u201d and interest in line dancing. She notes about 9 in 10 Black women voted against President Donald Trump<\/a>, whose policies are disproportionately affecting Black Americans, including eliminating DEI programs<\/a>, federal agency mass layoffs, and cuts to SNAP benefits, Medicare and Medicaid.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know how to survive these things because we lean on family, we lean on community, and this joy,\u201d said Sinegal-DeCuir. \u201cThe world is burning down, and we\u2019re sitting here learning a new line dance because we\u2019re tired of the political atmosphere \u2026 it\u2019s a form of resistance.\u201d<\/p>\n