SOUTH LOS ANGELES — When a person attends a J and J Soulful Steps dance class, they can look forward to an evening of fun, camaraderie and exercise while twisting and turning to the latest dance moves.
For 30 years, husband and wife James and Jackie Rice have instructed attendees on how to move gracefully around the dance floor while engaging in fellowship and improving their health.
The Rices first got interested in dancing in 1994 when they attended a soul line dancing class on the original Black Cruise Festival at Sea. There, they met their mentor Belinda Haywood who encouraged them to dance and teach.
“We realized that we love to dance, and that the best shape of our lives was when we were partying and dancing a couple of nights each week,” said Jackie, a former professor of nurse midwifery at Charles Drew University. “So that is why we started J and J Soulful Steps, to have fun, to exercise, get in shape and to share our love of line dancing.”
“We have taught hundreds of line dances and our typical class is one hour long,” said James, a retired aerospace and finance industry engineer.
With their lively instruction and contagious encouragement, the couple’s clientele grew from a handful of family and friends in their backyard to currently conducting eight classes weekly at various locations around Los Angeles.
The couple teaches each week at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall on Mondays, Roy Campanella Park on Tuesdays, Kaiser Baldwin Hills and Obama Sports Center on Wednesdays, and the Crenshaw YMCA Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The duo also hosts beginner and intermediate classes three days a week.
Deborah Perkins, a former county worker, was invited to participate in a soulful steps class by a friend seven years ago.
She said she has noticed that dancing and exercise has brought about positive results.
“I found out that line dancing is good for one’s mental health, for physical well being, for stress reduction and for clarity of the mind,” she said. “Line dancing classes are also really great for people who want to socialize.
“Even if you’re not a dancer, you can just sit and watch. It is a great new way to meet new people and fellowship.”
Sharon Brown, a retired medical office manager, has been dancing with J and J Soulful Steps for 15 years.
“It is not only about dancing, it is about community, friendships, meeting new people, encouraging new dancers, keeping your mind active and engaged, and about physical activity and health,” she said.
“We also celebrate birthdays and special occasions and we travel to support other line dance communities,” Brown added. “You are never too old to dance. We are one village connected to so many others.”
The Soulful Steps also hold fundraisers for scholarships and give out blessing bags for the homeless during the holidays.
The Rices line dancing skills have not gone unnoticed.
“We have been blessed to conduct classes on the Five Towers Stage at Universal City Walk, the only soul line dancing group ever certified by NBC/Universal,” James Rice said.
They have choreographed more than 150 dances and received the 2018 UC Stars Trailblazer Award.
Other organizations they worked with include Kaiser Permanente, American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, Nickelodeon, Cypress College, Compton College, KJLH Radio Station, First AME Church, Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta Sororities.
The couple said participants should not feel timid when trying to learn the dances.
“Our basic methodology is to walk through all steps before cranking up the music, and call out all moves to make it easier to learn,” James Rice said. “Come out and join us. We look forward to seeing you, and promise you will have a great time. We have a diverse group of great people and hot music who are out to have a great time.”
For more information, visit the website at www.jandjsoulfulsteps.com or call J and J Soulful Steps at 310 613 9408.
Shirley Hawkins is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers. She can be reached at shirleyhawkins700@gmail.com.
