Chris “Mad Dog” Thomas with Kummba Lynx

Bio:

Christopher “Mad Dog” Thomas is an extremely motivated dancer, activist, and youth mentor. Born and raised in Chicago’s Altgeld Gardens housing project, he was inspired to dance at age 5 by artists like Michael Jackson and New Edition. “Mad Dog” became a member of the FootworKINGz in 2007 and was the official spokesperson for FWK during their 2009 appearance on “America’s Got Talent.” In 2005, Thomas joined Kuumba Lynx, where he is now the Restorative Justice Facilitator and Youth Arts Coordinator. He has volunteered at the juvenile temporary detention center for years as a part of a social/emotional development program.  He is a member of the dance fraternity Delta Phi Delta Dance Fraternity Incorporated.

Chris is committed to codifying his style of Chicago Footwork while somatically exploring and developing new choreographies revealing how bodies react to traumatic activation, including his own — at Altgeld, Thomas and his family were exposed to pollutants that caused them to have respiratory problems. Imagine trying to dance at 160 beats per min when you have asthma.

About Juke for Liberation:

After examining the impact of environmental racism and contemplating what it would mean to reallocate a police budget, a core of creative freedom fighters from Altgeld Gardens begin to call upon the ancestors as they imagine a place worth loving.

“[We want to partner with Arts + Public Life because of] the location, audience engagement and just a fresh and new relationship”