Form and Purpose: An Interview with Dancer and Educator, Laila Abdullah
by : Sharreace E. Baldwin
As a dancer and educator, Laila Abdullah brings her whole self to her art, her stages and her students. When COVID hit in 2020, she quickly pivoted to distance learning with Zoom — upskilling on the spot, to continue teaching her physical ed/dance students at LAUSD’s James A. Foshay Learning Center. Abdullah further embraced the video platform to offer, “Mindfulness for All,” a Saturday morning series of 1-hour interactive, virtual classes, where she taught low impact wellness and Afro Fusion Creative Dance for kids.
In May 2020, Laila Abdullah joined us as featured panelist for our Garden Conversations Virtual Community Panel Event, where she shared the importance of a holistic continuity of learning in virtual classrooms and home schooling. During her 12-minute segment, Laila shared with us the many perspectives local parents have about how education and learning impacts their lifestyle and home environments. She offered solutions for the hardships that students, parents and educators experienced during virtual learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. She drew us in further at the close of her segment with her poem, “Rain.”
Key Takeaways:
- Approach Learning as a Holistic Fundamental
- Mindfulness, Identity, Creativity
- B.A.S.T.E. – Body, Action, Space, Time, Energy
Watch Laila Abdullah as a virtual panelist for Garden Conversations produced by SolShock Media.
Since learning to dance at the age of five, the East St. Louis native has trained extensively in the African Diaspora dance styles, Dunham technique, modern, jazz, tap, hip-hop and ballet. Her professional dance career spans 25 years and includes noted performances with Disneyland’s The Lion King Celebration (1994-1997) and Viver Brasil, the L.A.-based Afro-Brazilian dance company, where she has been a principal dancer for 17 years. With Viver Brasil, she has graced local, national, and international stages while embodying Yoruba orishas like Oshun.
She has also led Samba in the Streets workshops in Leimert Park. Abdullah’s passion for community has led her to volunteer for various organizations and events. She holds a B.A. in Dance and M.A. in Education from Loyola Marymount University.
In this SolShock.com article, we learn more about her artistic background, her inspiration, her company, Laila Dance Conservatory and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meet the inimitable, Laila Abdullah. Happy Discoveries.
SolShock: Who is Laila as an artist?
Laila: Laila, as an artist, is someone who is open to exploring new ideas. I find that I am very adaptable and willing to stretch the envelope of movement and expression. With the training that I’ve had I find that I am a diverse spirit. My Artistry is rooting from a cultural historical playful platform which begs the body to emote the upmost sublime effect. I love to fuse movements together and find purpose and function of form.
SolShock: Who is Laila as an educator?
Laila: Laila as an educator uses natural simple ideas, terms, examples to engage her students. I have to say, I could be quite a comedian at times, but I make learning fun. I love to see students’ eyes light up when they began to tap into a broader understanding of self-identity, diversity, and equality. My love for the arts embodies me like a natural gift that has to be shared. I must say when I see the spark in a student’s eyes I know then that I have made some impact on his or her learning.
SolShock: Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Laila: I draw my inspirations from all sorts of things; I love to observe nature, animals, and people. I find that I express deep emotions as it relates to my blackness, my skin tone, but more the essence of culture, ethics, and morals. Most of all I draw my inspiration from my family and their purpose of living.
SolShock: Who are some of your favorite dancers and dance companies?
Laila: Some of my favorite dancers and dance companies are: Michael Jackson, Chris Brown, Katherine Dunham, Bill T. Jones, Vera Passos, The Nicolas Brothers, Misty Copeland, Patrick Swayze, Viver Brasil Dance Company, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company.
SolShock: What is the soundtrack in your head most of the time?
Laila: The Wiz, West Side Story, A Beautiful Mind, The Lion King, Black Panther
SolShock: What are some of your favorite performances of your career?
Laila: Disneyland: The Lion King Parade-Drum Dancer, Viver Brasil Dance Company: The Ford; The Music Center Holiday Celebration; The Music Center-Moves After Dark Series; Jalisco Mexico; Taos New Mexico, Kenny Hudson and World Beat: Los Angeles Zoo, Disney Burbank.
SolShock: What can you tell us about Laila Dance Conservatory (LDC)?
Laila: Laila Dance Conservatory specializes in what it terms as “Dance of the Diaspora,” a perspective arising from an understanding of the “genealogy” of dance, which illustrates that dance knows no cultural boundaries. What this means for students is an opportunity to discover relevance in the art form as well as a personal cultural connection, and an appreciation of how dance demonstrates human relatedness. With the expansion of LDC, the development of other projects are in progress.
SolShock: What was the best and most challenging thing about working during COVID?
Laila: By the time March 2020 hit, I was already being judged and misunderstood in many ways so, the pandemic empowered me and helped me to overcome regret with decisions that I had made. With the extra time and explicit interaction with myself, guided-meditation and exploration helped me to re-shape and re-brand LDC.
The most challenging thing about being an educator during this time was not being able to demonstrate and model in the classroom and the ability to correct students body form. I missed the connection and interaction that creates conversation with the body to begin communication. My students also faced a difficult time performing all of their duties due to lack of space.
SolShock: What makes you radiant?
Laila: What makes me radiant is being able to enjoy life. Examples of the radiant feeling is feeling at peace with myself and others, getting the proper amount of rest and overcoming financial burden. On the flipside of this, what truly makes me radiant is covering my skin after a relaxing bath with Vitamin E.
SolShock: What was your most recent happy discovery?
Laila: The most recent happy discovery is that I found true love.
The wife and mother of two is currently working on the release of her documentary, “A Beginning to No End,” as well as her Spider Eye Nine Poem Series.
Learn more about Laila Abdullah and Laila Dance Conservatory on Instagram.
I enjoyed this article. Laila is a true stylist that only a few dancers have captured