DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray chop it up with Dr. Marcus Borders, an Atlanta educator and self-described introvert who found his joy in roller skating and line dancing, turning those rinks and classes into places to recharge and connect.
They dive into how these sacred Black spaces keep Black joy going strong:
- From Wall to Floor: How pandemic skates at Atlanta's Cascade Family Fun Center led Marcus to the dance floor, blending '90s R&B slow sets with essential Black line dances like the Tamia Shuffle and Electric Slide.
- The Family Reunion Vibe: Exploring Atlanta's intergenerational line dance classes with DJ Trael Tsunami, where aunties dap up college kids and everybody adds their spin to Southern Soul steps, just like at a backyard cookout.
- Line Dancing for Introverts: Why the repetition in line dancing feels like a "video game" for some—turning messy first tries into muscle memory, with the same core steps showing up everywhere.
- DJ Tips for Black Dance Floors: What it takes to truly read the crowd, why transitions must breathe, and how to sneak in Quiet Storm cruisers (like Keith Sweat) before a Wobble or Chugga Chugga to keep lines full.
- Protecting Our Joy: Defending these Black-led and community spaces as essential to emotional, spiritual, and physical wellness, and how skating and stepping together rebuilds what the world wears down.
From first-grade Hammer dances to backwards skating and Tamia shuffles that took a year and a half to lock in, this talk hits like pulling up to the rink with your cousins.
Guest Biography
Dr. Marcus Borders is a Learning Innovation Specialist with Ed Farm, where he supports educators and school leaders in designing blended learning, coaching, and K–12 computer science experiences. His work centers on expanding access to high-quality technology learning and ensuring digital equity for the communities he serves, with a particular passion for elementary educators, students, and adult learners. Dr. Borders holds an Ed.D. and Ed.S. in Instructional Technology from Kennesaw State University, along with degrees in Urban Teacher Leadership and Early Childhood Education from Georgia State University. A native Atlantan, Marcus can often be found outside of work rolling around one of the city’s skating rinks or learning the latest Southern Soul and trail ride line dances.
Follow Dr. Marcus Borders: http://instagram.com/quietasitskept
Chapter Markers
00:00 Intro Theme
00:16 Welcome to Queue Points
01:05 Line Dancing Goes Viral
02:41 Meet Dr Marcus Borders
05:01 Introvert on the Dance Floor
06:45 Cars and Early Dance Roots
08:46 Skating Sparked the Shift
10:58 Finding Freedom and Community
13:03 Classes Across Generations
19:11 Atlanta Energy and Joy
22:52 What Makes a Good Groove
24:11 Dancing Like A Game
25:19 What DJs Should Play
26:48 Transitions And Crowd Reading
28:49 Hardest Line Dance Learned
31:13 Practice By Messing Up
34:23 Learning To Fall Safely
35:43 Classes Build Confidence
37:46 Protect Your Safe Spaces
40:10 Passing The Culture Down
42:16 Where To Take Classes
43:31 Final Thanks And Sign Off
45:58 Outro Theme
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