King Charles: Chicago Footwork, Cultivating A Global Movement | Enculturation Podcast #14

A conversation with King Charles on his journey through the lens of Chicago Footwork, a dance native to Chicago. We talked about his experiences in this transformative artform and how it was the gateway into his spiritual calling. He shared some of his experiences working in the industry, such as performing in front of 100,000 people with Madonna all the while staying true to his artistry and maintaining integrity. Chicago Footwork is more then just a style, it's also become a lifetime legacy vision through his work with Creation Global and outreach of giving back to underserved communities in Chicago.

If you've wondered what is Chicago Footwork, what to look for in a teacher, where does it come from and what are it's roots? This episode is for you.

Charles Parks, aka King Charles, is a Chicago Footwork pioneer from the Southside of Chicago and a prominent international teaching artist for Chicago Footwork. He has been a global ambassador for the art form for over 20 years. King Charles is the founder and leader of Creation Global, an international Chicago Footwork dance crew with over 70 members worldwide.

King Charles was the Artistic Director of renowned Chicago dance company, The FootworKINGZ, who was featured on major television shows including America's Got Talent and America's Best Dance Crew. King Charles has worked professionally with many iconic artists including touring with Madonna for years and performing with artists such as Elton John, Missy Elliot, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Will I Am.

King Charles continues to blow audiences away with his energy and creativity. His commercial work and stage performances include Omarian, Twista, Bakermat, Willow Smith, Verizon, and Nike- just to name a few. He is also a mentor to many future leaders world-wide and a skilled rapper/MC. King Charles is a co-founder of @cfology, a project created in response to the global pandemic that provides online dance and music programming to educate students world-wide about Chicago Footwork culture.

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IG:   / creationglobal  


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Time Stamps
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00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:36 - Origin Story
00:06:59 - My First Time Seeing Chicago Footwork
00:09:55 - Parents & Pursuit of Dance
00:11:42 - My Early Days with Chicago Footwork
00:13:58 - Gang Affiliation with Footworking (then & now)
00:17:56 - Chicago Footwork Was My Gateway to Opportunity
00:22:26 - Poppin at my Popeye's Chicken
00:24:35 - In 2017 Everything Changed
00:28:58 - Lady Soul Was A Major Pillar
00:30:29 - Missy Elliot - Music Makes You Lose Control
00:33:23 - Auditioning for Madonna
00:34:27 - My Time In New York & House Dance Conference
00:36:38 - My Experiences with Madonna, Balancing out Artistry vs. Industry
00:41:26 - Stepping Into Industry w/ Madonna
00:42:59 - You Guys Hit Like P*ssies - Madonna
00:45:20 - Madonna - Die Another Day (ft. Jayron & King Charles)
00:49:27 - Shout Out From Madonna
00:51:42 - Running into Ejoe in New York
00:53:58 - My Experience Learning New York House Dance
00:59:46 - Stepping out of your "Element"
01:02:52 - New York's Role in Adoption of Chicago Footwork
01:09:22 - Unqualified Teachers, Culture Vultures & Vetting Process
01:16:10 - Elements / Qualities to look for in a Teacher / Class
01:19:18 - The Mentality / Philosophy of Chicago Footwork
01:20:39 - Stay Ready - Never Hesitate
01:22:58 - It's Time For The Perculator
01:26:41 - Musicality, Music Genres & Chicago Footwork
01:30:50 - Maxwell - Bad Habits Freestyle
01:31:56 - Process of Building Foundation & Originality
01:33:14 - Helping Underserved Communities
01:34:27 - Learning ABCS - Don't Shortcut Yourself
01:39:50 - Creation Global's Evolution - Then & Now
01:41:16 - Creative to Creation
01:45:12 - Lifetime Goals of Creation Global
01:49:34 - F.A.M. - Chicago Footwork Holiday
01:52:24 - Maintaining Legitimacy of Dance Educatoin
01:55:28 - Talking to Elders & Documenting History
02:00:38 - Reconnecting with the Past
02:02:32 - Spirituality's Role In My Journey
02:07:37 - Origin of "King Charles"
02:11:09 - Spiritual Signs Are Only For You
02:16:07 - Shout Outs
02:17:48 - Ways To Support
02:18:53 - Closing Thoughts