Mr ‘Footwork’ hosts dance workshop

Brian Green

Laurie-Ann Gibson, Fatima Robinson, Shane Sparks, Hi Hat and Wade Robson. These are just a few of the names you might know as the architects of the dance moves you practice alone in your living rooms.

That’s if you’re a fan of Rihanna or the You Got Served movie franchise. They are some of the most well-known choreographers in American hip hop and pop circles at the moment. But before them, there was Brian Green.

Popularly known as Brian “Footwork” Green (pictured), the New Yorker will be headed to our shores for a dance workshop this weekend. In addition to sparking a love for hip hop dancing through popping in the 1970s, Mr Footwork was already an avid lover of all things dance.

He became very well acquainted with dance styles that include tap, jazz, ballet and modern dance. Through his illustrious career, Footwork has managed to become the choreographer for music videos, tours and more for artists who include Mariah Carey, Gwen Stefanie, Fergie, Mya, Foxy Brown, Missy Elliott, Salt-N-Pepa, Busta Rhymes, Barbara Tucker and Eve.

This 2001 American Choreographers Awards winner for best hip hop choreography in a music video, for his choreography in Mya’s Free video, has also toured the world focusing on dance that merges the pop and hip hop worlds.

Footwork has also been asked to be a judge on countless dance shows. This month, however, he won’t be judging too much as he will be participating in an exchange programme of sorts that has been organised by Cleo Notcutt.

The latter is a Capetonian dancer who first encountered Footwork at the Broadway Dance Centre in New York where the American teaches and where she went to gain broader experience as a dancer.

In Cape Town, Footwork will conduct hip hop dance workshops with dancers who already know that this art is their passion.

He will also engage with spectators who may not want to be professional dancers, but who would love to watch a master at work anyway.

About his trip to the Mother City, Footwork said: “I want to meet and learn things from dancers here, especially styles that are unique to this country.”

• The workshop will take place at CPUT Mowbray Campus on Saturday. Registration opens at 10am. The workshop is priced from R120 and spectators are welcome at R60. For more information, call Cleo Notcutt at 072 446 4186.