From 1971 to 2006, “Soul Train” was the place to see some of the hottest Black musical artists on television. But viewers didn’t just tune in for the music, they came back week after week to watch a talented and super fly group of young people showing off their style and their best dance moves. If you ever seen a “Soul Train” line, you already know what we’re talking about.
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It’s been 20 years since folks stopped getting down on the “Soul Train” for good. Because we can watch those moves forever, we’ve rounded up interviews with some of the most popular “Soul Train” dancers in the show’s history who talk about some of their favorite memories from their time on the hippest trip in America.
Crystal McCarey
Crystal McCarey showed off her steps on “Soul Train” for over a decade. The Chicago native danced on the show from 1976 to 1989. She says she drew inspiration from her mother, a professional dancer who danced at the Moulin Rouge in Las Vegas. While McCarey says she has lots of fond memories from her time on the show, she calls the time she got to dance on stage with Marvin Gaye during a 1984 appearance one of the highlights.
Affion Crockett
You know Affion Crockett as an actor and comedian, but you may not know that he was a “Soul Train” dancer from 2000 to 2003. The North Carolina native said his style of dance was inspired by 1980s breakdancing films like “Breakin” and “Beat Street” along with ballet, jazz and martial arts.
Although Crockett had the moves, he was already pursuing a career as a comedian when he came to Los Angeles, so he convinced the “Soul Train” dance coordinator to let him incorporate some humor into his routines on the show.
“Honestly, if I was old enough, I would have wanted to be on Soul Train back in the 70s, but by the time I got to LA, I was already a comedian,” he said in an interview.
Patricia Davis
Patricia Davis was a “Soul Train” dancer from 1971 10 1979. Whether she was on a riser on in the middle of the dance floor, Davis was known for always finding a way to make herself stand out.
“I was this shy, quiet type, but when the cameras hit, I knew I had to do my thing,” she said.
While many dancers say they spent hours choreographing their routines for the show, Davis says most of the time she just did whatever moves came to her at the time.
Cheryl Song
If you watched “Soul Train” in the late 1970s and 80s, you already know about the Asian woman with extra-long hair. A staple on the show between 1976 and 1990, Cheryl Song was “Soul Train’s” first non-Black dancer.
In a 2020 interview, Song said that although she loved “Soul Train” and watched the show religiously, she never thought she’d get her chance to dance down the line because she wasn’t Black. She says a group of friends from her predominately Black high school convinced her to audition anyway.
“I think it was more of a dare to see what would happen if they brought this Asian girl on the show,” she said.
Song said she took a lot of heat for being on the show in the beginning.
“It took a while for them to accept me and after I proved that I could dance, then I became one of the Soul Train crew,” she said.
Tyrone Swan
Tyrone Swan showed off his moves on “Soul Train” from 1972 to 1975. With a curly afro that was always on point, Swan was known for his flashy outfits, including a gold suit that he says he’ll always remember.
“I walked on set, and everybody was like, ‘wow!’” he said.
Scorpio
A “Soul Train” dancer from 1981 to 2004, Scorpio was known for bringing his unique style to the show. The Detroit native says his smooth moves were inspired by a combination of Bruce Lee’s kung fu along with old school tap dancers from the 1930s and 40s.
In an interview, Scorpio says one of his favorite memories from his time on the show was dancing down the Soul Train line, especially when they played Michael Jackson songs.
“I would do my robot and then spin because they would play ‘Dancing Machine,’ and that was one of my favorite Michael Jackson songs,” he said.
Rosie Perez
It’s hard to believe that Rosie Perez was only 19 when she danced down the “Soul Train” line for the first time. But while she looked like she oozed confidence as she showed off her steps for the camera, she says she was terrified.
“It changed my life because it got me out of my shell,” she said. “It dared me to be great.”
Rosie danced on the show in the 1980s before going to on to become a well-known choreographer and actress.
Shabba Doo
Adolpho Quiñones (aka Shabba Doo) was one of the original“Soul Train” dancers, appearing on the show from 1971 to 1974. The Chicago native was known for his incredible breakdancing skills, which he showed off with other members of his dance group, The Lockers, which included Fred “Rerun” Berry and Toni Basil.
Since “Soul Train” dancers were paid with chicken, rather than cash, Shabba Doo was left the show to advance his career. He went on to become a well-known choreographer, who created moves for Lionel Richie’s “Dancing on the Ceiling” music video and his role in the popular “Breakin’” movies.
Sheila Lewis
You might not know it when you watch her move, but Sheila Lewis, who danced on the show from 1975 to 1990, says she was never trained, instead practicing her dancing while watching “Soul Train” at home.
“Every Saturday, I would just wake up and dance along with everyone else,” she said in an interview.
Lewis said she learned about the auditions for “Soul Train” from a fellow student at Pasadena City College who also danced on the show. Once she secured her place, her partnership with well-known designer and fellow dancer Temechi “Tony” Briggs, made her one to watch for her unique costumes.
Louie Ski Carr
Louie Ski Carr said he didn’t get the green light to come aboard the “Soul Train” the first time he auditioned for the show. But everything changed when he showed up for his second audition in a white tuxedo.
“For me, it was life-changing, it was my introduction into entertainment,” he said in an interview.
Carr, who is Black and Mexican says he drew inspiration for his dance moves from R&B, soul and salsa artists. But it was his unique skits that made his trips down the line something fans of the show will always remember.
“This was our time on the Soul Train line to show something that we created,” he said. “Something that now is part of history, part of a legacy.”
Diana Hicks Sherer
Chicago native Diana Hicks Sherer was a “Soul Train” dancer from 1980 to 1988. A descendant of a long line of dancers, Sherer says her grandmother performed at the legendary Cotton Club.
Known for her short dance skirts that showed off her long dancer’s legs, Sherer, who considers herself to be on the shy side, said the show gave her a chance to let her alter ego loose.
Thelma Davis
Thelma Davis was a “Soul Train” dancer from 1971 to 1983. A dancer for as long as she can remember, she took classes at her local recreation center as a kid. Davis was recruited for the show while she was a student at a Los Angeles high school and became popular for her unique moves that combined her African, ballet and jazz dance training. Although she says being on the show was hard work that involved long days and countless retakes, she was thrilled to be a part of something that was a reflection of the culture.
“I had never been in a room where everybody was a reflection of myself,” she said in an interview. “Everybody in the room was Black, and I was in heaven.”
Derek Fleming
Derek Fleming was a “Soul Train” dancer between 1980 and 1993. Known for being a constant presence on the main stage and in the dance line, Fleming says he started wearing a fox tail on his shoulders to make himself stand out from the other male dancers who had a similar tall, thin build.
“I started stepping my game up and experimenting with different looks,’ he said in an interview. “When I started wearing [the fox tail], they started calling me D. Fox.”
Myron Montgomery
From 1976 to 1995, Myron Montgomery was one of the most popular male dancers on “Soul Train.” A trained dancer, Montgomery says most of his moves were inspired by James Brown. Although he danced with several partners during his nearly two decades on the show, he’s probably best remembered for his time dancing with Cheryl Song.
“We had a great chemistry together,” he said in an interview.
Juliette Hagerman
Juliette Hagerman appeared on “Soul Train” between 1984 and 1993. But the Chicago native went through a unique audition process to get her place on the show – sneaking onto the set the first time. “[The dance coordinator] said, ‘If you can dance, you can stay there,’” she said in an interview. “The record started, I started dancing and jamming, and they pretty much left me dancing there the whole time.”
Known for dancing in mini skirts and heels, Hagerman became a popular for duets in matching outfits with fellow dancer, Michelle Stevenson.
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