Library of Congress Community Collections Project
Soul Line Dance Gallery
Community on the Line: Documenting the Urban Soul Line Dance Culture in Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware
Community on the Line: Library of Congress Community Collections Project
In FACT partnered with Queen Nur LLC to document the Soul Line Dance Community in the Philadelphia, New Jersey, Delaware Tri-State Area as part of the Widening the Path Project for the Library of Congress. Almost 1,000 files make up the collection.
The Collection was celebrated at the Library of Congress on February 27, 2025 with a Soul Line Dance Party in Jefferson Hall, 10 First Street, SE, Washington DC 20540.
WE MADE HISTORY!
Our day started with IAKJP on Good Morning America. Over 1,200 people experienced the Library of Congress Widening the Path Community on the Line celebration.
Video credit: Event Stream Team
Video credit: DJ AJ Rivers
Visit often to find when the collection will be online at the Library of Congress and to learn about blogs and other media.
Thank you to our phenomenal Bus Captains:
Khenya Clay
Josie Jones
Hazel Pierce
Renee Wimberly
Supported By
Library of Congress Party — Project Team
Team for the LOC Celebration held in Jefferson Hall on February 27, 2025
Queen Nur (right)
Gloria Kingcade
Kenny J
DJ AJ Rivers
Chris Blues
Aline Goodman
Theresa Brown (left)
Queen, Aline, Kenny, Michelle Stephano (LOC), Gloria
Press & Coverage
Links to Our Historical Day — Media
Good Morning America
Good Morning America — Segment on the Legacy of Soul Line Dancing
CBS News Philadelphia
Gloria Kingcade on CBS — Soul Line Dancing Brings Community Together
Burlington County Times / Courier Post
Burlington County Times — How South Jerseyans Showed Off Soul Line Dancing on National TV, at Library of Congress
Queen Nur Gratitude Facebook Post — Thank You Soul Line Dance Community
Community Documentation
Facebook Posts by Cultural Practitioners
About the Collection
Community on the Line Collection
Description
Community on the Line: Documenting the Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware Soul Line Dance Community total collection contains almost 1,000 files that include photographs, videos, audio and manuscript files of events, oral histories, and interviews.
Phase I documentation at the Library of Congress dates from March 2022 to March 2023. Additional oral histories were documented during Phase II in 2024.
Made possible by grants to Karen "Queen Nur" Abdul-Malik by the Library of Congress and In FACT, Inc. by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.
Project Team
Project Manager: Karen "Queen Nur" Abdul-Malik, a New Jersey Heritage Fellow
Advisors: Aline Goodman, Kenneth "Kenny J" Johnson, Gloria Kingcade
Interpretive Planning Committee: Bernadette Burnette, Douglas Hawkins, Joyce Myers, Vonda Pearson, Tamika Shipman, Christopher "Chris Blues" Torres, Nichelle Underwood
Documentation Team: Queen Nur, Driven By Design, and Tamika Shipman
Video Contributor / Event Stream Team
Admin: Keisha Gilchrist-Broomes, Michael Clay
Assistant: Lorraine McClary
Oral Histories
Couples Interviews:
North Jersey Focus Group:
Documented Events
- Interpretive Planning Meetings, Pennsauken, NJ
- Silk N 'Em, New Castle, DE
- June and Audrey's Classic Soul Line Dance Party, Philadelphia, PA
- Kimmel Center with Chris Blues, Philadelphia, PA
- Step 4 Step Anniversary Weekend, Kenilworth, NJ
- Newark Symphony Hall, Newark, NJ
- I am Kenny J Best of Both Worlds, Pennsauken, NJ
- Vonda Pearson 80's Themed Party, Bernadette Burnette Class Christmas Party, Norristown, PA
- I am Kenny J All Request Party, Pennsauken, NJ
- Parkside Experience with Chris Blues, Ardmore, PA
- Sheila Holiday Sock Hop, Philadelphia, PA
- I am Kenny J Team Performance Team Rehearsal, Pennsauken, NJ
- UC Star Awards, Baltimore, MD
- Phase I Culminating Event, Hi Nella, NJ
Manuscripts & Curated Videos
Manuscripts
- Transcripts of all Oral Histories and Interviews
- Bob Terruso Dance Instruction Step Sheets
- Ms. Terry's Dance Instruction Catalogue
- Aline Goodman's Playlist
- 446 Release Forms
Curated Videos
- 60-Minute Community on the Line (2/2023)
- 27-Minute Exhibit version curated for the Culminating Event of Phase I on 2.25.2023
- 55-min New Jersey Highlight Version (2025)
Follow us for more to come...
Made possible by New Jersey Council for the Humanities and The Library of Congress. All rights Reserved In FACT, Inc. ©2025.
Community Collections Photo Gallery — Just a Tease
The Full Collection is still being processed at the Library of Congress. We will post the page link on the Library of Congress Community Collections website when it goes live!
View Photo GalleryDocumented by Queen Nur · Edited by DBD Creative Agency
Learn & Connect
Resource Links
YOUR OTHER LEFT — Soul Line Dance Classes in the Philadelphia Tri-State Region
A guide to Soul Line Dance classes across the Philadelphia, NJ, and DE region.
Issuu
Urban Line Dance History
History catalogue of Soul Line Dancing by Linda Hardy.
urbanlinedancehistory.com
Urban Line Dance Connection
Dances, classes and events across the country.
Visit Often for Updates and Stories
Have a resource, link, or story to share? We'd love to hear from you.
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