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Old Tradition, New Line: Black Line Dancers Create Community in Sacramento

SACRAMENTO OBSERVER — At the center of it all is Nights in the Valley, a Black-led line dancing group founded by Sumarah Lewis, 26, and Quincy Middleton, 33. Launched a little more than a year ago, the Sacramento-based group teaches line dancing every Wednesday night, creating a space where beginners and experienced dancers learn side by side.

Published

8 months ago

February 16, 2026

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By Williamena Kwapo | Sacramento Observer

In Sacramento, a new generation of dancers is making sure an old tradition stays alive.

Every Wednesday night, hundreds line up shoulder to shoulder in a crowded room, waiting for the beat to drop. Some arrive early to learn the steps. Others show up later, already knowing the routine. By the end of the night, nearly everyone is moving in sync; sliding, turning, clapping — line dancing.

At the center of it all is Nights in the Valley, a Black-led line dancing group founded by Sumarah Lewis, 26, and Quincy Middleton, 33. Launched a little more than a year ago, the Sacramento-based group teaches line dancing every Wednesday night, creating a space where beginners and experienced dancers learn side by side.

“It is a visual form of pure unity,” Middleton says. “Everyone in the room is doing the same thing, going the same direction, to the same beat.”

The group began with roughly 15 people and has grown into weekly gatherings averaging more than 150, sometimes reaching 250. The dances taught each week include classics, newer routines circulating online, and original choreography created by Lewis and Middleton.

Lewis says the idea grew out of a longing for something she couldn’t find in Sacramento. After briefly living in Louisiana in her early 20s, she was introduced to line dancing in a way she had not experienced.

“I walked into a club and everybody was line dancing,” Lewis says. “Nobody was competing. Everyone was just moving together.”

When she returned home, Lewis sought that same sense of collective joy. While Sacramento had line dancing venues, she rarely saw Black dancers on the floor.

“We line dance all the time at cookouts, weddings, family functions,” she says. “But we didn’t have a space here that felt like it was really for us.”

Nights in the Valley founders Quincy Middleton, left, and Sumarah Lewis flank Chelsea Kodama, a member of their line dancing performance team. Russell Stiger Jr., OBSERVER

Rather than wait for one to appear, Lewis decided to build it herself. She approached Middleton, a Sacramento DJ, with the idea of creating a Black-centered line dancing space grounded in Black music, movement, and community.

“We knew right away this was something people wanted,” Middleton says. “We just had to create the space.”

The Nights in the Valley performance team at Cesar Chavez Park in downtown Sacramento. Courtesy of Nights in the Valley

They were right because line dancing spans throughout Black history and has been a source of joy and necessary escape.

For centuries, African Americans have danced collectively as a form of connection, celebration, and survival. The roots of Black line dancing can be traced to West African communal dances and the ring shout, a distinct ritualistic dance where enslaved Africans moved together in rhythm as a way to preserve culture. Those traditions evolved over time, appearing at juke joints, church halls, and family gatherings, eventually shaping the dances seen today.

From the Electric Slide to the Cupid Shuffle, line dances became shared choreography learned by watching elders, joining the line, and following the beat. The practice emphasized unity over performance, which allowed everyone to participate regardless of age or skill level.

Lewis and Middleton carry that understanding, embodying the history of line dancing in every lesson taught.

“I teach for the people who don’t know how to dance,” Lewis says. “And once they get it, you see their confidence change.”

She teaches without counts, instead focusing on direction and rhythm, making it easier for first-time dancers to follow along. Her approach reflects the organization’s unofficial motto: “no dancers left behind.” She believes such accessibility keeps people coming back and contributes to their growth.

That sense of collective accomplishment has turned Wednesday nights into more than a dance class. For many attendees, Nights in the Valley has become a consistent space for releasing emotions, unwinding, meeting people, and feeling part of a community.

“Once you’re around people who are willing to break it down and teach it to you, it takes away the hesitation of learning,” says Chelsea Kodama, an early member and now a performer with the group’s performance team. “I think it’s the environment that brings people together.”

As the organization grew, a core group of dancers began returning week after week. That group eventually formed a performance team of about 15 people that now represents Nights in the Valley at festivals, weddings, corporate events, and community celebrations across Northern California.

Looking ahead, Lewis and Middleton hope to bring line dancing into schools and create more all-ages events, introducing younger generations to the tradition early. They also envision a permanent home at a venue built specifically for Black line dancing and community gathering. Until then, they’ll keep opening the doors every Wednesday night, carrying forward a tradition rooted in collective movement and shared joy.

“This is healthy,” Lewis says. “It’s therapy for the mind, body, and spirit.”

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Smooth Ride! Car Suspension & Comfort Tested #shorts

Smooth suspension meets surprisingly spacious legroom. Experience true comfort on any road!

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3 weeks ago

October 4, 2026

Oakland Post

Car suspension test demonstrating a smooth ride, comfort features, and handling on various terrains.

Experience the difference smooth suspension makes on rough streets. Check out the surprisingly good second-row legroom – test it yourself for true comfort.

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/l9Z571za5Gc

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61 years since Selma, Houston leaders say the bridge remains to be crossed

61 years after Selma, Houston leaders say the fight for equality continues. The issues that sparked the marches still impact Black Americans today.

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3 weeks ago

October 4, 2026

Oakland Post

Houston leaders discuss the ongoing struggle for civil rights 61 years after Selma, emphasizing the need for continued action.

It has been 61 years since the Selma marches. But political leaders in Houston say that the issues protesters were marching for still plague the lives of Black Americans.

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Here is what you need to know about finding unique white elephant gift ideas that everyone wants to steal

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition. The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half […]

Published

3 weeks ago

October 4, 2026

Oakland Post

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition.

The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half a second, and suddenly everyone wants the same gift. That is the sweet spot. A great white elephant pick should make people laugh, lean in, and start plotting their next steal before the turn is even over.

Should a White Elephant Gift Be Funny or Useful?

A white elephant gift can be funny or useful, but the strongest choices usually give people a reason to laugh and a reason to keep the item. A practical gift with an odd design, unexpected feature, or playful theme can get a reaction without becoming something the recipient immediately wants to give away.

The right balance depends on the group. Close friends and family members may enjoy a ridiculous gag gift because they already understand one another’s sense of humor.

A workplace exchange, neighborhood party, or mixed-age gathering usually calls for something with broader appeal. In those settings, humor works better when it is built into an item people could still use afterward.

It also helps to think about how quickly the gift will make sense once it is opened. A strangely shaped kitchen tool, oversized mug, quirky desk accessory, or unexpectedly fancy everyday item can create an immediate reaction. Guests understand the joke right away, while the item still has enough practical value to attract a steal.

Pure gag gifts can be harder to pull off. Something that exists only for the punchline may get a big laugh during the reveal and then sit untouched for the rest of the game. If the goal is to bring one of the gifts everyone keeps fighting over, usefulness gives the joke staying power.

Memorable Present Ideas: Creating Inside Joke Gifts

Inside joke gifts can make a white elephant exchange feel much more personal, especially when most of the group shares the same stories. The trick is choosing a reference that people will recognize quickly instead of building the entire joke around something only two guests understand.

You can turn a memorable vacation mishap, office catchphrase, family story, or long-running group joke into the theme of the gift. A personalized comic book can work especially well when it turns familiar people or a ridiculous shared moment into part of the story.

Think carefully about who the joke involves before ordering anything permanent. The gift should make the person feel included in the fun, not singled out for the wrong reason.

Can You Bring Something You Already Own?

Holiday gift exchanges can be a good place to re-gift something you never used, especially if it is unopened and clean.

The following can all work if they still look presentable:

A duplicate kitchen gadget
An untouched game
A decorative item
A sealed gift set
An unopened candle
A new travel accessory

The goal is to give the item a second chance, not use the exchange as an excuse to clear out damaged or unwanted clutter.

Take a close look at the packaging before wrapping it. Faded boxes, missing pieces, visible wear, or anything that looks obviously used can make the gift feel careless.

Wrapping Budget-Friendly Gifts

Wrapping can make gifts more entertaining before anyone even knows what’s inside.

Misdirection works especially well for fun party games. Put a small gift inside a much larger box. Use packaging from an unrelated household item.

Add harmless weight so guests cannot guess what they are holding. The reveal becomes part of the joke without changing the gift itself.

You can also lean into the theme of the exchange. Bright paper, oversized bows, reusable bags, or deliberately over-the-top wrapping can make an ordinary item feel more memorable. If the gift itself is already funny, simple wrapping may work better so the surprise stays hidden until the last second.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Picking Last an Advantage in White Elephant?

Picking last can be an advantage because you get to see almost every gift before making your move. Instead of choosing blindly from the remaining wrapped presents, you can steal something that has already caught your attention if the rules still allow it.

That advantage depends on the house rules. Some games limit how many times a gift can be stolen.

Others lock an item once it reaches a certain number of steals. If the most popular gifts are already unavailable, the final player may have fewer strong options than expected.

The first player can also get another turn at the end in some versions of the game. That rule can balance things out, since the person who started with the least information may get one final chance to steal.

How Do You Plan White Elephant for a Large Group?

For a large white elephant exchange, set a firm spending limit and establish the stealing rules in advance.

Create a clear turn order before the game begins. Drawing numbers as guests arrive can save time once everyone is ready to start.

Keep the number of steals per gift limited so the game does not drag on. It also helps to have one person track which creative holiday presents have been stolen and when they are locked, especially if dozens of people are participating.

Can You Play White Elephant Virtually?

A virtual white elephant exchange can work over a video call, with one person keeping track of the turn order and each steal. Guests can either mail physical gifts ahead of time or use digital gifts that can be delivered once the game ends.

Set the spending limit and stealing rules before everyone joins. It also helps to decide how gifts will be revealed and who is responsible for sending each one afterward so the exchange does not become confusing.