See Chicago Dance Summer 2023
Spotlight: The Era Footwork Crew 2022–23 SEASON SPONSORS Official Hotel Partner 2022–23 SERIES SPONSORS Florian Fund Global and Chicago Dance Chicago Dance Joyce Chelberg Pamela Crutchfield Patti Eylar and Charlie Gardner ONE NIGHT ONLY JUNE 10 TICKETS START AT $25 AuditoriumTheatre.org 312.341.2300 50 East Ida B. Wells Drive | Chicago, IL Kim Davis and Isaiah Collier, photo by MReid Photography. “…The next big thing to hit Chicago’s dance scene” — Chicago Tribune The world-class dance form Chicago footwork is fast, energetic, open to boundless creativity— and it has deep roots right here in Chicago. But a generations-long cycle of resource disparity has prevented many young and talented dancers living on the South and West Sides from pursuing a career in dance, which, in turn, has negatively affected the development and visibility of the art form. This is where Chicago footwork crew The Era steps in. The Era is a pioneer of footwork, using its art to support its members and their respective communities since 2014. The crew’s dancers—Jamal “Litebulb” Oliver, Sterling “Steelo” Lofton, Brandon “Chief Manny” Calhoun, Jemal “P-Top” De La Cruz, and Syd Falls Syd—first knew each other as members of different “battle cliques,” but soon they joined forces. Together they aim to create an organization that performs and represents the music, style, and values of Chicago footwork, using dance as a primary means of expression and a tool of resistance. The Era is the embodiment of collectivism. “Our goal is to support each other’s individual projects as a collective model that we all are a part of,” said Calhoun. “Litebulb’s working on his own dance show. I’m working on my film. Steelo is working on his fashion. Syd creates music. P-Top is focused on teaching. I think the biggest accomplishment is being able to operate like an organization.” There is, however, still a lot of work to do. “Footwork is growing nationally and globally. But the community in Chicago is smaller compared to the early days of footwork. That comes from the lack of support and resources necessary for this dance form to really thrive. Globally there is a lot more opportunity.” The Era’s collective approach is paying off—its members are now performing and teaching locally and internationally. Last year, the crew received recognition in the form of a $90,000 National Dance Award from New England Foundation for The Arts, and they were recently invited to join the Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project. To Calhoun, The Era’s rise to prominence goes hand-in-hand with giving back to the community. “We’ve noticed the importance of passing this down. It’s not a trend, it’s not a fad. There’s a community of culture behind it. This dance is more than a dance. It’s a way of expressing yourself. Working within the community, breaking into the arts world and the political scene— we’re proud of being sort of ‘founding fathers’ to this generation.” To find out where The Era Footwork Crew will perform next, visit TheEraFootworkCrew.com . SEECHICAGODANCE.COM | 13
Made with FlippingBook
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTkwOA==