House

Students will learn techniques and underlying grooves associated with house dance, a form that grew out of the house music subculture in Chicago and New York in the early 1980s, and is now widely practiced across the globe. This class will reinforce hallmarks of house movement including the counter-pull of energies in the body, intricate footwork patterns, polyrhythmic musicality, and freestyle (improvisation) interspersing cultural contexts of the form. Kelsa & Bravemonk build a sense of community in their class supporting students to take risks and find the balance between strong technical training and cathartic release.

Artist BIo

BraveSoul was born organically in 2016 as the newest iteration of a 15-year synergy between two of Chicago’s influential street dance artists: Daniel “BRAVEMONK” Haywood and Kelsa “K-Soul” Robinson. BraveSoul, which focuses on concert and site-specific dance performances, education and social/community-building practices, is rooted in the movement languages and cultures of Hip-Hop and House, as well as martial arts, a wide-range of improv traditions and other Afro-disporan movement languages.

BRAVEMONK and K-Soul share a connection with Spirit as a central driving force in their relationship to movement, artistic expression and the creative process, and their collective energies are consistently described as raw, electric and inspiring.  

Chicago Footwork

Class will learn history and language of Chicago footwork while learning how to construct a proper round by learning fundamentals to build up to a 16 count combo. During the course of the hour the class will learn up to 3 combo sets.

Artist BIo

MurdaMommy is a dancer, musician, actor, and innovator in the film, fashion, and gaming industries. As a lesbian artist and a teen who experienced homelessness, she brings her life experiences into her practice and teaches the dance form Chicago Footwork to people who live on the South and West sides of Chicago. In 2019, she was recognized by SWAN Day Chicago, celebrating black women in dance. MurdaMommy has performed across the U.S. In Chicago, she mentors and connects with all generations through performance and workshops, including programs within Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center and Stateville Correctional Center.

As a musician, her style complements her choreographic and movement approach. She is currently working on her first official E.P. She recently created the short film " I Am Queen," based on the women of Chicago footwork culture. She is also collaborating on Juke Town, an online multiplayer game where characters can practice footwork, socialize, and complete missions. For more information visit www.murdamommy.com