Join us for the 2026 ROCK the Block Community Health and Resource Expo, a full-day experience that makes wellness easier to understand and easier to access. The event brings screenings, movement sessions, services, and local partners together in a space that feels welcoming and fun, and you leave with practical support, real connections, and clear next steps for your health and your household.
ROCK Expo
5th Ward MSC | Houston, TX
Saturday, February 21st
10:00am - 3:00pm
5th Ward MSC
Too many people spend years searching for answers while dealing with chronic symptoms, inconsistent care, or barriers that make wellness feel out of reach. Navigating screenings, specialists, programs, and support services can be overwhelming, especially when resources are scattered across different clinics, agencies, and organizations.
ROCK the Block brings everything into one welcoming, energetic space. It creates access to screenings, movement, education, and community programs while giving people clear next steps they can act on immediately. The expo reduces confusion, builds confidence, and connects attendees to partners who can support them long after the day is over.
By centering practical help, culturally responsive support, and accessible wellness activities, ROCK the Block turns community outreach into something people can actually use.
Why it Matters
ROCK the Block is ABN’s community health and resource expo focused on making wellness easier to reach for individuals and families navigating chronic illness, unclear symptoms, or everyday barriers to care. The event brings together movement sessions, health screenings, community programs, and local services in one place so people can get practical support without navigating multiple systems on their own.
Grounded in ABN’s mission of Access, Inclusion, and Prevention, ROCK the Block is designed for people who need clear answers, trusted information, and help knowing where to start. Many attendees are juggling symptoms, new diagnoses, care gaps, or limited access to reliable guidance. The expo responds by offering hands-on support, resources tailored to real community needs, and connections that extend beyond the event.
What is ROCK the Block?
EXPO OVERVIEW
“When care is simple to reach and easy to understand, people get the answers and support they deserve.”
Bringing Together the People Who Make Community Health Work
Who This EXPO is For
Improving everyday health takes all of us. ROCK the Block brings together the individuals, services, and programs that help people navigate chronic symptoms, new diagnoses, prevention, and overall wellness. The expo creates one space where attendees can connect with partners who offer guidance, screenings, movement, resources, and practical support.
Everyone plays a different role, but each one contributes to the same goal: making health easier to understand and easier to access. ROCK the Block gives people a chance to explore services, ask questions, and build connections that support their health and household long after the event.
Health and wellness providers
Community health workers
Nonprofit and local service organizations
Movement and fitness instructors
Autoimmune and chronic illness organizations
Nutrition, prevention, and chronic illness programs
Mental health and social support services
Caregivers, advocates, and community leaders
“In a world that feels unsteady, community moments help us find our footing.”
Line dance supports mobility, balance, coordination, and overall heart health while also helping lower stress. The structure and repetition make it accessible for different fitness levels, and the group setting encourages participation without pressure. It gives people a low-impact, enjoyable way to stay active and support their physical wellbeing.
Health & Wellbeing
Line dancing has a long history of bringing people together across generations and backgrounds. You see it at festivals, reunions, churches, and neighborhood events because it creates shared rhythm, connection, and familiarity. It offers a simple way for people to move together, learn together, and feel part of a community that welcomes everyone.
Culture & Community
ROCK Steady:
A Community Line Dance Workshop
A fun, accessible movement session led by the Houston Soul Line Dancers
This year at ROCK the Block, we’re featuring ROCK Steady, a community line dance workshop led by Houston Soul Line Dancers (HSLD). They will teach multiple line dances to be featured at the 2026 Houston Rodeo in March, giving people of all ages a simple way to join in and move together.
Many people are carrying stress and uncertainty that affects their energy, sleep, and overall wellness. Movement becomes grounding. It becomes release. It becomes a way to feel steady when life feels unsteady. Rock Steady gives people a moment to breathe, connect, and take part in something that feels easy and welcoming.
These elements show up clearly in the workshop and reflect what matters across the expo.
ROCK Steady is designed so anyone can participate regardless of age, experience, or ability. The steps are easy to follow, and people can move at a beginner, intermediate, or advanced level based on comfort. The flexible pace and welcoming environment make it easy for everyone to take part and feel included.
Accessibility & Inclusion
More Info
Purpose Dance Academy
Tiffany Wallace
Step Into The Rhythm
Gennetta Griffin
More Info
More Info
Soles 4 Soul
Hester Mitchell
More Info
WBM - Wisdom. Beauty. Motion.
Quintessa Haynes
More Info
#SoSouthside
Raquel Veazie
More Info
Line Dance Divas of H-Town
Lisa Laverne
More Info
Divas & Dudes Simply Dancing
Ardie Johnson
More Info
Dem Girls
Clevetta Young
More Info
Elusive Ladies & Gents
Jackie Lilly
More Info
D’Headliners
Shaun Fulton
Meet the ROCK Steady Line Dance
Workshop Instructors
Jackie Lilly, known to many as J-Lill, is an award-winning line dance instructor and choreographer with the Elusive Ladies Line Dancing group, founded by Martha Allison, in Houston. She has spent years creating and teaching routines that bring people together through movement, rhythm, and community.
Jackie plays a key role in shaping the Elusive Ladies’ presence across Houston, leading classes, teaching original choreography, and supporting the group’s outreach and community events. Her work reflects a commitment to making line dance accessible, enjoyable, and welcoming for people of all ages and experience levels.
She is widely recognized for her signature style, strong teaching approach, and the cultural impact she has made in Houston’s line dance community.
Jackie Lilly
Elusive Ladies & Gents
Clevetta Young
Dem Girls
Clevetta Young is a dedicated line dance instructor based in Texas City, known for her clear teaching style and steady leadership in the local dance community. She has spent years guiding dancers through routines that build confidence, coordination, and a sense of connection through movement.
Clevetta leads classes that welcome people of all experience levels, teaching choreography in a way that feels approachable and supportive. Her work centers on creating a space where anyone can participate, learn at their own pace, and feel part of a community.
She is recognized for her strong instructional approach and the impact she continues to make in expanding line dance programming in Texas City and surrounding areas.
Ardie Johnson
Divas & Dudes Simply Dancing
Ardie Johnson is a Houston-based line dance instructor and founder of Divas & Dudes Simply Dancing (DDSD). The group’s objective is simple: Let’s Just Dance. DDSD creates a space where people can relax, unwind, and enjoy urban line dancing alongside music, laughter, and fellowship.
Founded by Ardie and fueled by her passion for line dance, DDSD offers classes throughout the Houston metropolitan area and surrounding communities, with morning and evening sessions held Tuesday through Friday.
Ardie’s classes emphasize inclusion, shared movement, and community connection. Her motto, “No line dancer left behind,” reflects her commitment to making sure everyone feels welcome, supported, and encouraged to step in and just dance.
Lisa Laverne
Line Dance Divas of H-Town
Lisa Laverne is a Houston-area line dance instructor and the founder of Line Dance Divas of H-Town. She has been dancing and instructing for over 12 years and is certified through ICLDI.
Line dance is both her hobby and her profession. Through Line Dance Divas of H-Town, Lisa teaches community classes and leads line dance instruction, sharing her love of movement and dance with others.
Shaun Fulton
D’Headliners
Born and raised in Houston, Shaun began line dancing in 1992 and started teaching in 2009 under Victoria Carriere at St. Mary’s and Wheeler Avenue. Her instruction is grounded in decades of experience and deep roots in Houston’s line dance community.
Over the years, Shaun has helped start and lead several groups, including 3rd Ward Steppers with Victoria Carriere, Elusive Ladies with Martha Allison, The Hott Stepperz in 2021, and D’Headliners with Dee Dawn Williams in 2024.
Line dancing is central to Shaun’s life and work, and her leadership reflects a long-standing commitment to movement, community, and shared culture.
Raquel Veazie
#SoSouthside
Raquel began line dancing about 15 years ago and has been teaching for more than a decade. What started as a casual hobby grew into a lasting passion for instruction and helping others learn, move, and build confidence through dance.
She is known for her energetic presence and engaging teaching style, creating classes that feel welcoming and enjoyable for dancers at every level. Raquel focuses on clear instruction and keeping the experience fun without pressure.
Her goal is simple: to make sure every student feels comfortable, confident, and enjoys the process of learning to dance, whether they are brand new or have years of experience.
Quintessa Haynes
WBM - Wisdom. Beauty. Motion.
Quintessa Haynes is a line dance instructor who views movement as more than steps, it is a way to release stress, build confidence, and reconnect with the body. Her classes are high-energy, welcoming, and designed to support dancers at every level.
She focuses on clear instruction and thoughtful pacing, breaking choreography down in a way that feels approachable and empowering. Quintessa creates spaces where adults can move without judgment, feel present, and leave stronger than when they arrived.
Her teaching emphasizes rhythm, confidence, and ownership of movement, helping dancers enjoy the process rather than strive for perfection.
Hester Mitchell
Soles 4 Soul
Hester is an Urban Soul line dance instructor who has been teaching since 2017. She recently started her own dance group after previously instructing with Lisa Laverne of Line Dance Divas of H-Town.
She teaches free community classes at Tidwell Park on Houston’s Northside on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Hester’s instruction reflects her love for line dance and her commitment to sharing movement in accessible, welcoming spaces.
Gennetta Griffin
Step Into The Rhythm
Gennetta Griffin is a line dance instructor and former educator who teaches in the Pearland and Manvel areas. After early retirement, she began volunteering in her community and spending more time doing what she enjoys most: dancing and fitness.
For the past two years, Gennetta has combined both passions by teaching line dance several times a week, primarily at inner-city libraries and local community activity centers. Her classes focus on creating a space where people can relax, have fun, and take a break from everyday stress.
Gennetta values the connection that movement creates and believes line dancing brings people together by highlighting how much we have in common.
Tiffany Wallace
Purpose Dance Academy
Tiffany Wallace is the owner and lead instructor of Purpose Dance Academy in Missouri City, Texas. She opened the studio in 2014 and teaches line dance classes and private events through the academy.
She is a former Texas Southern University Motion dancer and a former WNBA dancer, experiences that shaped her movement background and teaching style.
Through Purpose Dance Academy, Tiffany leads structured group classes and events, sharing her experience and love of dance through choreography and instruction.
The ROCK the Block Expo 2026 Agenda
Coming Soon
Be seen by the communities you aim to reach
Your presence places your organization in front of residents, families, and public health stakeholders who often have limited access to chronic-illness resources. It helps people recognize your services and understand how you support community wellness.
Strengthen ties across neighborhoods and organizations
The weekend gathers families, local groups, health educators, and community leaders in one accessible space. It creates natural moments for conversation, resource exchange, and relationship-building without requiring ongoing commitments.
Take part in meaningful, in-person interaction
Supporters can share tools, answer questions, demonstrate services, and have real conversations with people navigating chronic illness challenges. This level of engagement builds understanding on both sides and helps shape more responsive outreach.
Show communities that your commitment is real
Trust grows when organizations consistently show up in places where care and information are hardest to access. Supporting the weekend demonstrates that you value equitable health access and are invested in being part of the solution, not just observing from a distance.
Your support fuels preventive care access in neighborhoods that face the greatest barriers to health. Sponsorship and vendor participation increase the reach of evidence informed education, wellness navigation, and community-centered services, while also strengthening cross-sector collaboration that improves health outcomes.
That kind of engagement carries meaningful value for the community and for the organizations committed to serving it.
SPONSORSHIP & VENDOR OPPORTUNITIES
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