If you have young children and live in Western Springs, chances are that you have heard of Jo’s Footwork Studio. With dance classes starting for tots as young as two years old and extending into the adult years, Jo's truly offers something for everyone. Beyond its decades-long success teaching dancers of all levels — from recreational students to competitive performers — it is Jo’s heartfelt and inclusive culture that has made it a fixture of the community.

Jo’s Footwork Studio has been passed down through generations. Its current studio director, Jay Fagan, took ownership of Jo’s in 2019 following his parents, John and Christine Fagan, who ran it for nearly 25 years. The Fagans took ownership of the studio from its founder, Jo Irbe. Jay was one of Jo’s very first dancers when Irbe started the studio in 1984. Fagan describes the founder Jo as his “true second mom, his dance mom.” The love and care that Jay felt as a beginning dancer is exactly the care he strives to bring his students today. Fagan has enjoyed a successful career as a professional performer and choreographer, and served as assistant to the producer of Bill Acosta’s Las Vegas production, “Lasting Impressions.” Still, Jay will tell you, “I love to teach. I think that’s my first passion.” All of Jo's Footwork Studio teachers strive to instill confidence, love, and pride in their students. Core to Jo’s Footwork is not only providing dancers with a fun, fulfilling experience, but also teaching techniques and setting high expectations – always with a “loving hand.” 

The most popular—or certainly the most adorable– dance program is “Shining Stars,” which starts at two years and goes through kindergarten. Parents of these dancers understand when Jay jokes that Shining Stars shows “sell out quicker than Taylor Swift tickets.” After Shining Stars, dancers are provided more class options such as ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, or poms. Every class is technique-based so that skills build to set a solid dance foundation. As dancers mature, they can opt to join performance teams where they perform in various settings, such as at Bulls games or local retirement communities. For dancers seeking a greater challenge, Jo’s competition teams involve additional training and about four competitions per year. Most dancers’ hard work culminates in the end-of-year recital where Jo’s Footwork Studio showcases its many dancers. This year, the recital returns to Park Junior High School in LaGrange Park, the site of Jo’s very first recitals back in the 80s. To Jay, it feels like a full-circle moment. 

Jo’s Footwork Studio strives to meet dancers wherever they are, which means extending classes to adults and seniors too. Currently, Jo’s teaches two adult groups that participate in recitals and another group who dances simply for fun. Though according to Jay, these adults – including an eighty-year-old – “mean business.”  Whether looking to brush up on dusty dance skills or hoping to find a new hobby with friends, Jo’s welcomes adults and ensures they offer a class that meets your needs.

In addition to the performances and competitions, giving back to the community is an important part of the Jo’s Footwork Studio mission. Each autumn, Jo’s collects boxes of nonperishable items for St Francis Xavier Food Pantry; they’ve been doing this for eighteen years. Additionally, the performance dance teams regularly perform at charity functions as well as retirement homes. This year, dancers are participating in a charity performance, “The Dance Exhibition,” where Jo’s dancers have raised $5,000 that will go to “Celebrating Seniors,” a not-for-profit organization in Oak Park. As Jay puts it, “We are blessed and fortunate and we should give back. When the performance dance teams perform for charities, it’s such a joy. The dancers give so much joy–that’s what dance is all about.” 

At Jo’s Footwork Studio, dance is more than choreography — it is legacy, community, and confidence that lasts long after the music fades. This June, when dancers grace the stage back again at Park Junior High, their tutus and leotards will glitter, but it is the heartfelt dedication of the teachers and dancers along with their shared love of dance that will shine.