More than 400 Participants Attended 'Werk Related: Chicago Footwork' Conference from Music and Dance

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More than 400 participants recently attended the a five-day conference, "Werk Related: Chicago Footwork," created in partnership with the UMass Amherst Department of Music and Dance, Five College Dance, Chicago Footworkology, and local community organizations. The conference, which included classes, workshops, panel discussions, lectures, a party, and a dance battle, featured nine guest artists from Chicago and the Chicago Footwork diaspora to share their expertise and personal history. 

Guest artists were King Charles; DJ T-Rell; Pause Eddie; Prince Jron; Kelli Forman; Dr. ShaDawn Battle; Talia Sugarmann; Miki Ishizaka; and Donnetta "Lil Bit" Jackson.

Feedback from the event was overwhelmingly positive, according to an impact report, which found students and community members who described the conference as “amazing,” “incredibly inspiring,” “unlike anything I’ve experienced before,” and “life-changing.”

Chicago Footwork is a dance-music form that was created by African-American communities on the south and west sides of Chicago during the 1980’s and 1990’s and became a highly complex technical battle style. The music used for Chicago Footwork is an average of 160 beats per minute. The rapid dance movements of the form reflect that speed. Music used for Chicago Footwork sessions, performances, and battles is a blended style of electronic dance music in direct lineage of House music (which originated in Chicago), Ghetto House tracks, and Juke tracks. Chicago Footwork upholds the concepts of battle clique culture, honoring multi-generational dance lineage, and developing personal dance style within a crew style.

The conference was co-organized by Miriam Piilonen, assistant professor of music theory; Benjamin Court, lecturer in the Department of Music and Dance; and Duane Lee Holland Jr. , assistant professor of dance; alongside Shakia Barron from Mount Holyoke College and Five College Dance; Kelli Forman and King Charles from CFology/Creative Network.