The first time that I heard the word Litefeet was during a panel discussion in Fall 2009. I asked a question about the history of Hip Hop Dance and the panelists responded by telling me about its future instead. They described a new iteration of Hip Hop Dance from uptown; that was footwork heavy, involved a chant, “No MUSIC,” and was performed to a dynamic series of clave patterns clapped out by the audience. 

Dance civilians (the general population) usually experience the hype or the flashy elements of Litefeet first. When people think of Litefeet they most often associate it with hitters on the train (“It’s Showtime dancers”) or the song “Chicken Noodle Soup.” I had the access & luck to bear witness to Litefeet during its era as a recreational youth activity while it was being practiced and developed in Harlem. In April 2010, my “dance nephew” K Slicc (Kinen) invited me to accompany him and his team (Rocket) to COL at the YMCA on 135th. COL means Center of Lite, it was a weekly Litefeet battle produced & hosted by Swinton “Mr. YouTube” Hanley between 2009-2014. COL is where I ended up photographing a vibrant community of culture creators wearing shelltoes (Adidas Superstars) and building the movement systems (dance vocabulary; footwork transitions, combos & tricks) that continue to animate Litefeet. 

That April afternoon at COL, I got to see some Litefeet pioneers, forefathers, veterans and the hood stars establishing their reputations citywide. In retrospect I realize that I was listening to the soundtrack first hand; the chants, the jeers, the whispered hype, and of course peanut gallery remarks. I was blessed to witness the creative stakes personified; the side eyes, sequencing, smiles, sweat, stress, sacrifice, embodied genius, and the musicality that makes Litefeet possible. All the way back in 2010 ! When I walked into COL, I knew I was witnessing a Litefeet battle but didn’t really know what that meant at all. Fortunately, my dance instincts have never failed me so I caught images of Mr. YouTube, King of Spank, Chrybaby, 40 LB, Matt Live, Esolo, Ralph, K Slicc, Trini, Jedi, Dark as teens/young adults. I even caught a row of legendary shoe trick shoes. 

Fast forward a decade to when we were all contemplating the existential questions during the pandemic and Kinen asked me if I had still had the photographs from COL. I found them and sent them to him. He called me a few weeks later to explain the history portrayed through my images. Talking with Kinen and looking through the images, I began to wonder: how had Litefeet evolved as a dance form? Were the young people I photographed a decade ago still dancing? If so, how has the music they dance to evolved? Where were they getting down? How had the dance form evolved with time and the pioneers growing up? Also where were/are the ladies?

Shelltoes Systems: Litefeet Culture 2010-2025 is made up of five photographic series that illuminate different aspects of Litefeet Culture. 

#LLKS (InDialogue- Digital Call & Response Stories) shows how images circulate between Litefeet culture creators (media makers, dancers, recording artists and content creators)  in dynamic call and response exchanges on social media platforms and real life. In Dialogue chronicles a series of occasions when the Litefeet community remixed and repurposed dancers’ images to celebrate their growth & pay tribute to a beloved dancestor, K Sean “K Shakes” Nurse.

• First Story- When GKO made us believe 2023-24

• Second Story-  #LLKS-  The Umbrella Novella at St. Marys Park, REMIXED, 2024 (featuring images by Lafotographeuse, Miss Teerie and Lucky Banks) 

One of the main questions that I had when I returned to the community was where are the ladies at? I learned women are deeply embedded in the DNA of Shaking and Litefeet, you just gotta know where to look. The title of my series highlighting women in the Litefeet community, Ladies of Lite, is borrowed from the title of an annual honor that is awarded to the most outstanding female Litefeet Dancer in the community for that year. Ladies of Lite is a glimpse into the ways that women/femmes in Litefeet represent. The images in this series were captured between 2022-25. 

How It Started vs. How It's Going is a side by side comparison of 5 Litefeet Dancers and 1 dance team that I photographed in 2010 (how it started) and have also captured between 2022-25 (how it’s going.) This series shows how Litefeet remains connected to its roots in Harlem Youth Recreation & Sports Culture as it has evolved into a globally recognized Street Dance form. 

Street Dance Moments is a collection of key moments that I photographed at Litefeet gatherings between 2022-25. My favorite quote from Litefeet Legend Elijah “Esolo” Soto is “Memories and moments are the currency of Street Dance. Street Dancers’ lore and legacy is made of those types of moments. Instances where dancers execute dynamic combos, catches, moves in a cipher or a battle event that live rent free in the memories and minds of the community, culture bearers, fans, emerging dancers, and organizers. Those spectator groups then create the stories, make decisions, and initiate/fund platforms to build and sustain dancers’ reputations and careers.  

Booked & Busy- Litefeet Promo Fliers Abroad explores how dancers use images to promote themselves and their artistry to national and international audiences. The series features promotional fliers highlighting two NYC based Litefeet Dancers (Lady Slic and Jayy Wavy)  teaching, judging, and battling outside of the NYC Metropolitan Area. The dancers selected images that I made of them during portrait shoots and battles in 2023-24.

STAY TUNED!! Names dropping soon.

1. Designer: Tee the Creative | Artwork: Lucky Banks’ Just Shake single artwork cover | Design: Umbrella Man Drawing of K Shakes

2. Designer: Natalie Miccile | Flier Design: Jayy Wavy workshop with Slaughterhouse Boston

3. Designers: Maka and Kaka | Flier Design: Lady Slic workshop with Litefeet Intensive Prague (Czech Republic)

1. LIVE PUBLIC PROGRAM - Chrybaby Cozie Talk @ NYPL Lincoln Center Library at 6 PM on May 15, Join pioneers of Harlem Lite Feet to hear directly from them the stories of how this New York City dance tradition and culture was created and how it has grown.

2. VIDEO ARCHIVE - ESolo’s Library of Lite - is an archive of veteran and contemporary Litefeet videographers and battle events from 2008 to the present. START HERE.

3. DOCUMENTARY- Lock in: A Litefeet Story - is a CBS Sports documentary on the Litefeet dance movement that sprung out of Harlem in the late 1990s. Produced by Only Child Productions OCP-Productions.com

4. VIDEO CLIP- When Waffle Crew won America’s Got Talent- Waffle is NYC based dance & lifestyle collective made up of prominent Litefeet dancers

5. GOVERNING BODY- Litefeet Awards Committee - Founded & led by SNS, the awards committee hosts seasonal battle events; produces the Litefeet community’s annual award weekend and Hall of Fame achievement rankings

6. ARCHIVIST, Litefeet Archives- is an instagram page with historical images, video clips of LItefeet culture operated & curated by 40 Oz

7. IG LIVE SHOW- Litefeet Liberals - is a daily IG live chat show that stimulates dialogue, debate and fruitful conversation within the Litefeet community hosted by Unkle Gzz

8. TRIBUTE IG PAGE- Long Live K Shakes- instagram page dedicated to uplifting the legacy of K Sean “K Shakes” Nurse, curated by his father Bakeman