Ali Rosa-Salas and J&J Soulful Steps Soul Linedancers
Friday, April 4, 2025
Please join us Friday, April 4th at 7 pm at the UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Studios for a lecture by visiting curator Ali Rosa-Salas and a beginner-friendly soul line dance workshop with Jackie and James Rice, founder of Los Angeles’s premiere soul line dance group, J&J Soulful Steps Soul Linedancers! Ali Rosa-Salas will be sharing their curatorial interests in social dance, hyper locality, and the philosophy of a beginner’s mindset.
Ali Rosa-Salas
Ali Rosa-Salas is a curator whose approach is rooted in the belief that curatorial practice must serve the public good. She finds inspiration from the cultural ecosystems of New York City, where she was born and raised.
For over a decade, Ali has served New York City arts and culture through curatorial projects in performance and visual art. Currently, Ali is the Vice President of Visual and Performing Arts of Abrons Arts Center at Henry Street Settlement, the only contemporary arts center in New York City that is part of a social services agency.
Ali received a BA from Barnard College in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and an MA from the Institute for Curatorial Practice in Performance at Wesleyan University.
James and Jackie Rice
James and Jackie Rice are co-directors of J&J Soulful Steps in Los Angeles, and annually host 500-600 attendees at Cali Jam, the largest soul line dance weekend experience west of the Mississippi.
Meeting on a dance floor 50 years ago, they are the parents of 2, the grandparents of 3, and are celebrating 48 years of marriage. Jackie is a retired Certified Nurse Midwife and Nurse Practitioner, and James is a retired Aerospace and Finance Industry Engineer.
J&J began line dancing in 1994 and teaching in 2004. In 2012, they were awarded a UC Stars (The Academy Awards of Soul/Urban Line Dancing) Western Region Dance of the Year and Choreographers of the Year Awards–for their dance “Don’t Mind”. They have choreographed over 150 dances and were humbled to receive the 2018 UC Stars Trailblazer Award, and the 2025 UC Stars Lifetime Achievement Award.
They were the first and only African American Group to host Soul Line Dancing at Universal City Walk on the 5 Towers Stage for NBC/Universal. Other organizations they worked with include Kaiser Permanente, American Heart Assoc., American Diabetes Assoc., Nickelodeon, Cypress College, Compton College, KJLH Radio Station, First AME Church, Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta Sororities.