Misryoum reports on a Roseland mural honoring Chicago footwork and the community hub the artist wants to build.
A towering mural in Roseland is doing more than beautifying a corner. It’s preserving a living slice of Chicago street culture—one built on music, movement, and community spaces.
Antoine “Twan Twan” Humphries. a longtime dancer rooted in the city’s footwork scene. designed a two-story mural that maps out the history of Chicago footwork in a prominent location at the intersection of South Wentworth Avenue and West 111th Street.. For Humphries. the project began as a practical answer to a question he says tourists would ask when they visited the city: where do people go to learn about this dance style?
In an era when culture is often pulled apart by algorithms, a physical landmark can keep local memory anchored to place.
The mural’s center features a building representing the former Robert Taylor Homes in Bronzeville. where Humphries describes footwork as having been celebrated.. Around that core. the artwork includes names and faces tied to early crews and DJs. along with references to the gathering spots dancers used to find each other—before social media and when parties were often tied to the sound of music rather than digital promotion.
Humphries says the mural was created in 2020 with help from a friend. and he positions himself in the role of historian as he explains how different groups. venues. and neighborhoods shaped the culture through the 1990s.. The design also reaches outward by depicting familiar city landmarks and listing practice sites. reinforcing that footwork wasn’t just an event—it was a network.
That kind of documentation matters because it turns an art form that lived in basements, ballrooms, and streets into something the next generation can recognize and follow.
The project is tied directly to Humphries’ nonprofit, The Urban Ark, which is located at 149 W 111th St.. He hopes to build a hub at the site where people can learn about the dance’s roots and keep the tradition moving forward. especially as many of the early pioneers have moved on due to age. financial pressures. or both.. He says fewer young people are stepping in now. and that gap is what’s motivating the next phase of his work.
To sustain the culture. Humphries is raising money for groups to cover essentials like costumes and rental costs for equipment. space. and floats tied to performances.. He also frames the goal as shifting away from an unsustainable summer cycle of relying on quick street fundraising and toward more stable preparation—so dancers can train. participate. and pursue broader plans.
This effort shows how cultural preservation can become community development in real time—by turning history into a resource rather than a memory.
At the bottom of the mural. Humphries highlights the Bud Billiken Parade. a long-running summer tradition that has included footwork dancers and other performers.. For him. the culture’s value isn’t only artistic; it’s also protective—something that historically gave people a reason to be together and a path that could steer them away from harm.
Even as the parade continues, Humphries calls his mural a beginning, insisting that change requires planning and organized follow-through. In his view, the next step isn’t just celebrating what was built—it’s creating the conditions for what comes next.