Footwork Saves Lives
Footwork is more than an art form in our underserved and disinvested communities of Chicago’s South and West sides — footwork is a means of reclaiming space, of building community, of collectively processing and healing trauma, and a vehicle of opportunity for our people.
OUR MISSION
The Era Footwork Collective is a multidisciplinary artist collaborative representing the dance, music, film, graphic and fashion design culture known as Chicago Footwork. We find freedom, community, and agency through footwork, learned from artists and mentors who gave rise to the style. Our motto, Footwork Saves Lives, speaks to the power of our practice and our dedication to cultivating future generations of footworkers. The Era serves as culture bearers, featuring some of the foremost artists dedicated to preserving the craft, while continuing to evolve and grow the culture through mentorship, education, performance, raves, and battles.
OUR VISION
As ambassadors of Chicago Footwork, the Era Footwork Collective aims to create a sustainable, generative economy for footwork culture. We envision a future full of opportunity for footwork artists, where young Chicagoans know their powerful artistic legacy and have the confidence, skills, and creative freedom to evolve the culture while staying rooted in its wisdom.
OUR VALUES
Sustainability
The Era aims to create an eco-system for the footwork community to thrive right now and in future generations. We have an emphasis on becoming self-sustaining, which means pursuing financial health, financial literacy, and artistic support beyond traditional arts funding and grant opportunities and within the footwork community itself.
Collaboration
The Era is built on artistic collaboration across disciplines and mediums. Footwork is music, it is movement, it is community. Our crew taps into fashion, filmmaking, choreography, rap, dj-ing, battling, and more to fully realize our artistic expression.
Growth
The Era is always thinking ahead in terms of how we want the organization and footwork to grow. We support the continual growth of others in our community through a focus on mental health and education. This is not a static art form; ours is not a static movement.
Authenticity
Authenticity is built into our crew's framework. We have roots in Chicago, the birthplace of our form. It's important to us to rise from proper footwork technique and skill, to pass that knowledge on to the next generation, and to stretch and develop the form for a new era.
Creativity
The Era champions its members in their full artistic expressions, encouraging solo projects and cross-collaborations. We embrace reinvention, including unconventional and imaginative interpretations of the footwork movement. We cultivate an environment that allows for experimentation and taking artistic risks. We value fresh concepts and avoid imitation, striving to create unique, distinctive works that push boundaries and invite curiosity.
Quality
The Era Crew is committed to producing virtuosic performances, high-caliber classes and workshops, and premier footwork events. It is important to us to live up to our reputation as leaders and culture bearers in the Chicago footwork and dance communities.