Soulful Steps & Bold Threads: Golden Isles Cardio Soul Line Dance & Tovah2Creations
Dancing is an integral part of Black culture. Whether we’re stepping in the pews on Sunday morning, moving in sync at a family reunion, or following along to a line dance at a cookout, dancing has always been a way for us to move together in joy, rhythm, and community.
When I first caught a clip of Golden Isles Cardio Soul Line Dance, I was struck by the beauty of it all—a diverse crowd, young and old, dancing in unison. Different backgrounds, different stories, but one beat bringing them together. That visual alone made me want to know more. So I featured the instructor and founder, Tovah Reuven-Yisrael, in our Health and Wellness spotlight, alongside Uphill Fitness.
But I couldn’t stop there. I made a point to attend one of the classes myself. And when I say I haven’t felt that kind of burn in a long time! Add to that a playlist filled with classics from old school to new, and a teaching style that’s both patient and powerful, and you’ve got an experience that moves more than your body. It lifts your spirit.
There’s real magic in what Tovah is building through Golden Isles Cardio Soul Line Dance and her fashion brand Tovah2Creations. I’m excited to share her story here.
A Journey Rooted in Culture, Creativity, and Community
Tovah Reuven-Yisrael owner of Golden Isles Cardio Soul Line Dance and Tovah2Creations. Photo by Courtney McGill
Tovah Reuven-Yisrael is originally from Brooklyn, New York. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgia State University in Business and Hospitality, and raised her family in Atlanta before moving throughout the Southeast with her husband’s career in the hospitality industry.
That journey eventually led them to Brunswick, Georgia, a community that would shape the next chapter of her story in unexpected ways.
Building Something New
“When I first got to Brunswick, I asked people, ‘What is there to do here?’” Tovah recalls. “The answer was almost always, ‘Church and eating.’”
While she was used to a more active and varied social scene—things like live entertainment, roller skating, or spoken word nights—Tovah found the options in Brunswick surprisingly limited. “I’d been a YMCA member in other states, but here, most of the programs were geared toward seniors. There was a real lack of fitness options for everyone else.”
So instead of waiting for something to change, she built it.
Fashion as Resistance and Reclamation
Custom Tovah2Creations sleeveless dress. Image sourced from Tovah2Creations Instagram page (@tovah2creations).
Before she was leading dance classes, Tovah was stitching cultural pride into custom-made garments and jewelry through her business, Tovah2Creations, which she founded in 2001.
“I started sewing in high school so I could have the latest looks,” she says. “It was the era of baggy, colorful clothes—the world of hip-hop, representing mother Africa. I wanted to reflect that.”
What began as a creative outlet turned into a full-fledged business after she began designing pieces for family events and received more and more requests from friends and extended relatives.
Tovah2Creations pulls from rich Eastern cultural influences, offering alternatives to what’s typically considered “Black fashion” in the mainstream. “I always say, ‘Fashion has no SIZE.’ My sisters don’t have to live in spandex and polyester—there’s a whole world of fabrics out there for us to embrace.”
Reclaiming Movement Through Soulful Dance
Class in action at Brunswick Rocks downtown Brunswick. Image sourced from Golden Isles Cardio Soul Line Dance Instagram page (@gicardiosoul).
Tovah’s connection to dance runs just as deep. As a teen, she was part of an all-girl dance crew in New York and studied African dance at Uhura Sasa in Brooklyn. As life progressed, she found herself needing to reconnect with her body—and her joy.
“I’m not a gym person. I enjoy group fitness or being in nature,” she says. She started walking 2–4 miles regularly and added Zumba and Jazzercise into her routine, often being asked if she would ever teach.
But it wasn’t until she moved to Jacksonville, Florida that she discovered line dancing. And everything clicked.
The Birth of Golden Isles Cardio Soul Line Dance
Class photo after group session. Image sourced from Golden Isles Cardio Soul Line Dance Instagram page (@gicardiosoul).
In October 2021, Tovah officially launched Golden Isles Cardio Soul Line Dance in Brunswick with the help of Tanica Russell, owner of Russell’s Sports Bar on Norwich Street.
With a welcoming space to host classes, she invited the community to join her for a new kind of fitness—one that didn’t require machines, just good music, movement, and community. Each session blends rhythm, culture, and cardio in a way that makes people feel accomplished and energized by the end.
Movement, Style, and Sisterhood
Golden Isles Cardio Soul LIne Dance weekly class schedule.
Whether through fashion or fitness, Tovah is creating spaces for self-expression and healing.
She’s showing that wellness doesn’t have to look one way. It doesn’t have to be a gym membership or a one-size-fits-all outfit. It can be a rhythm you find in community. A dress that makes you feel royal. A step you learn at your own pace.
And it’s all happening right here in the Golden Isles.
You can experience it for yourself:
Golden Isles Cardio Soul Line Dance meets every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at 6:15 PM at Brunswick Rocks in downtown Brunswick.
Support Tovah’s work:
Follow @Tovah2Creations on Instagram for fashion and accessories
Follow Golden Isles Cardio Soul Line Dance/ @gicardiosoul on Facebook and Instagram for class updates and videos
Have a Black-owned business or creative you'd like us to spotlight next? Let us know at contact@blackownedbwk.com
