Dance- Lulu Washington
The dance incorporates movements with meaning. Lulu believes that dance is an art form that
can change an individual’s life. Therefore, her goal is to build a definite place in the community
for young people to participate in dance. Lulu’s philosophy is that if you can move, you can
dance. And once you stop moving, you are dead.
Lulu proved critics wrong when she began teaching dancing classes for free and gave out
her company for the community’s use. Without the Lula Washington Dancing Theatre, most kids
would have no place to train and improve their dancing skills. Her generosity and dancing skills
have seen her become one of the most sought-after dancing instructors in the world (Curseen
2019). Furthermore, her company serves as a physical embodiment of the African-American
experience and culture. Lulu’s work also impacts her community by helping the dancers tell their
stories to the world of dance. Dancers communicate specific messages through the movement of
different body parts (Curseen 2019). Therefore, through teaching dance, Lulu helps dancers
understand various movements to pass unique messages and also entertaining audiences.
As a dance artist, Lulu’s work is essential to her since it helps her transfer her unique
style and approach to dance. She fuses African- and Afro Haitian styles in her dance. Her work
also includes techniques from gospel church, modern, street, hip hop, and classical ballet (Curseen
2019). As such, Lulu’s work has relived accolades for its political and social commentary, as
well as its strong ties to the African-American culture.
References
Curseen A. S. (2019). Black Girlish Departure and the “Semiotics of Theater” in
Harriet Jacobs:39 Narrative; or, Lulu &