New Orleans' Second Line Dancers Carry Joy and History | If Cities Could Dance

Meet one of New Orleans' most beloved second line dancers, Rodrick "Scubble" Davis, known for this exuberant, athletic footwork and dancing through the Crescent City's streets. While tourists are familiar with Mardi Gras processions that attract hordes of tourists to #NewOrleans every Carnival season, for locals, the real-deal is the second line parades, which fill the streets with joyful dancing and live brass bands every Sunday, ten months out of the year. Scubble grew up in the historic African-American neighborhood Tremé, known as the birthplace of jazz and center of second line tradition. Its parades took off after the end of slavery, when African Americans formed Benevolent Societies and Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs as a form of mutual social aid. Then, in the early 20th century, second lining merged with New Orleans’ burgeoning jazz culture. Today, club members and their bands burst out onto the streets often wearing matching, brightly-colored outfits with elaborate hats and headdresses; they wave banners as the crowd parts to make way for them and their high-stepping dance moves. Scubble, a club member with the Tremé Sidewalk Steppers, was introduced to second-lining when he was four years old by his mother, and his love for it grew. “I was always a hyped-kid, couldn’t keep still, and anytime I heard the band, I was moving,” he says. Watch as Scubble dances his way through historic Tremé, including in front of the popular Candlelight Lounge, and as he joins in a Sunday parade, stopping to show off his moves on raised porches and atop bus stop shelters. Featuring music by New Orleans' Rebirth Brass Band and the Big 6 Brass Band. #ifcitiescoulddance #footwork #secondlinedance 🔔 SUBSCRIBE to If Cities Could Dance and KQED Arts 🔔 https://bit.ly/SubscribeKQEDArts About #IfCitiesCouldDance: Our history. Our culture. Our moves. KQED’s If Cities Could Dance​ features dancers from across the country representing their community’s signature moves. Watch a new episode from season five of the award-winning series every other Wednesday. 👍🏽 Join us on Instagram:   / ​​   👍🏽 Like us on Facebook:   / kqedarts​​   👍🏽 Follow us on Twitter:   / kqedarts   00:00 New Orleans Second Line dancers 00:20 What is Second line dance 00:27 Meet Rodrick "Scubble" Davis 01:07 Treme culture 02:14 New Orleans 02:23 Meet Catina Braxton-Robertson aka Black Ice, Ice Divas 02:49 Be a King and Queen kids