Strut your stuff in a Soul Train line, and help set a world record

Soul Train, the iconic TV dance show which ran from 1971 until 2006, may be part of history but its funky spirit lives on. And you can be a part of it by participating in what is planned to be the world’s longest Soul Train line.

The Southwest Center Mall in Dallas is the site for the free Dallas County Community Block Party on July 30 and part of the fun will be attempting to break the Guiness Book of World Records’ record for the biggest line, according to Oak Cliff Advocate magazine. They need at least 500 people to do it. The event begins at 10 a.m. For more information, go to www.eventbrite.com.

Now, for those who are too young or don’t remember, the line -- where members of the dance-happy audience got to strut their stuff individually (or sometimes in pairs) while dancing down a row between other audience members -- was a highlight of the show. Even those who weren’t all that interested in host Don Cornelius, the Soul Train Scramble Board or any of the musical guests like the Jackson 5, Etta James or Cameo, would put down their fondue and Boone’s Farm long enough to scope out the line.

The dancers got to strut their stuff and some went on to become famous in their own right. Rosie Perez, Damita Jo Freeman, Darnell Williams, Carmen Electra, Nick Cannon, MC Hammer, Jermaine Stewart, Fred “Rerun” Berry, Pebbles, Walter Payton all were part of the Soul Train audience at some point. Two former dancers, Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel, went on to form the hit band Shalamar.

This story was originally published July 18, 2016 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Strut your stuff in a Soul Train line, and help set a world record."