The footwork dance predates the music, born on Chicago's West Side in the 1980s as a below-the-knees battle dance

The footwork dance predates footwork and juke music: it began in the mid/late 1980s on Chicago’s West Side as a dance to house music with elements of breakdancing, spread to the South Side, and eventually inspired its own eponymous genre — the music evolved to match the dance’s energy. Its defining features are complex, extremely fast movement of the feet with twists and turns, an upper body that stays mostly still, and movement happening largely below the knees. It is fundamentally a battle form: crews gather in a circle to face off, performing moves such as the ‘Erk n Jerk’ and the ‘Holy Ghost.’ Historically male-dominated, the scene has seen a recent push for greater female presence. This dance-first genealogy explains why the genre is named for the dance rather than the reverse.

Examples

The dance was popularized outside Chicago by Dude ‘n Nem’s 2007 ‘Watch My Feet’ video. Named battle moves include the ‘Erk n Jerk’ and the ‘Holy Ghost.‘

Assessment

Explain the relationship between the footwork dance and the footwork genre, including which came first. Name two distinguishing physical characteristics of the dance.