DANCER/CHOREOGRAPHER/TEACHER

Lula Washington is Founder and Artistic Director of the Lula Washington Dance Theatre (LWDT), a contemporary modern dance company, school and youth ensemble based in Los Angeles, California. Lula founded the company in 1980 with her husband, Erwin, to provide a creative outlet for minority dance artists in the inner city. Today, Lula and her company are revered across the U.S. and around the world. The company has danced in over 150 cities in the United States, and in Germany, Spain, Kosovo, Mexico, Canada and, soon, China and Russia.

Anna Kisselgoff, dance critic at the New York Times, wrote a rave review after seeing LWDT’s 20th anniversary concert at The Joyce Theater in New York. “The spirit triumphs…That is Ms. Washington’s message and it is conveyed in both the astounding spring of her long-legged dancers and in their theatrical presence,” wrote Ms. Kisselgoff.

Kisselgoff added that: “There is a boisterous and refreshing quality about this marvelous interracial company from Los Angeles.”

Jennifer Dunning, another New York Times critic, called Lula Washington “a gifted original…who is doing something more than right in Los Angeles.”

According to the Reno-Gazette Journal, “[Lula] Washington’s stature as an expresser of inner-city culture has become as distinctive and important as the socially revelatory work of such enormous talents as Martha Graham and Twyla Tharp.”

Lula stumbled upon modern dance at Harbor Community College. A dance teacher took Lula to see the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Lula was mesmerized by the beauty of Ailey’s dancers and decided on the spot to pursue dance as a career. Later, Lula applied to UCLA’s dance program and was rejected because the school said she was too old at age 22 to begin a dance career. By this time, Lula was married to her husband, Erwin, and had a small child, Tamica.

Unwilling to take no for an answer, Lula, aided by Erwin, wrote an impassioned appeal for admission. A retiring dean was moved by the passion in the letter and called Lula in to meet her in person. She promised she would work hard and not let him down if he let her into the school. The dean granted Lula’s appeal as his last act as he packed his bags to retire. He told Lula that anyone with her determination, drive and eloquence deserved a chance. Lula was admitted to UCLA.

While a student, Lula danced in the Academy Awards telecast, in the movie “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Band” and with singers Cher and Al Green. She also danced in “Funny Lady” with Barbara Striesand; in the TV show “Komedy Tonight”; in the re-make of the film, “King Kong” and many other shows. Lula also established the Black Dance Association at UCLA and brought artists of color to the UCLA campus. While studying dance, Lula also found time to dance with local dance companies and choreographers including Margalite Oved; R’Wanda Lewis; Thelma Robinson; and William Couser. Meanwhile, Lula worked her way through UCLA and earned a Masters Degree in dance.

After graduation, Lula established the Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Theatre. The company was later renamed Lula Washington Dance Theatre. Under Lula’s leadership, and aided by Erwin, this dance company became one of the most admired and successful modern dance companies in Los Angeles. It has appeared across the United States and internationally in major theaters.

Lula decided to build a repertory company that would perform her own unique, risk-taking, experimental work, and also the work of legendary pioneers in African-American dance. Her company secured works by Donald McKayle, Katherine Dunham, Donald Byrd, Rennie Harris, Christopher Huggins, Raymond Johnson, Raymond Sawyer, Louis Johnson, Rudy Perez, L. Martina Young, and many others, including daughter Tamica Washington-Miller.

In 1983, Lula established her own dance school and provided low cost and free dance classes to neighborhood children through an after school program called: “I Do Dance, Not Drugs!” Remembering her own impoverished childhood, she wanted to make access to dance classes affordable and within reach of children from the low income neighborhoods where her studio was based. In time, the school grew to 500 students.

Despite having a company and a school, Lula found time to choreograph the “Little Mermaid” movie, and the opening of the L.A. Emmy Awards telecast. NASA chose Lula for its Mars Millennium Project, an educational video that depicts dance in the first human colony on Mars. Lula’s annual Kwanzaa celebration was featured in a national documentary on this African-American holiday.

Later, Lula provided movement and choreography for the feature film, AVATAR by director James Cameron. Lula was able to hire her dance company to perform in the film and to become body doubles for various stars. Lula worked on the film in 2007 and 2008 and is credited as Choreographer for Na’Vi scenes. Lula provided movement for ritual scenes and also body language for the Na vi people in AVATAR. Cameron expressed great joy at getting to work with Lula and her dancers.

She continues to teach her students, choreograph for her dance company, and to do occassional work in the entertainment industry, when invited. Lula’s company, meawhile, has emerged as an international touring ensemble.

Lula is admired as a teacher, a leader, a dancer, and also as a choreographer with a very unique style and approach to dance. Lula frequently blends modern dance with street dance, African, ballet, jazz and performance art. Some of her works are humorous; while others are experimental. However, Lula is best known for works that explores issues of contemporary African-American life, history and culture.

The first to receive Maria Shriver’s Minerva Award in December of 2004, Lula’s awards include the 2007 “Carter G. Woodson Civil Rights Award” from the National Education Association” for her “Reflections In Black” school performance program; the “2009 Uncommon Angel Award” from the LA Commons organization for “transforming the face of Crenshaw Boulevard” by relocating her dance studio there; and the $25,000 Rosenfeld Prize from UCLA for bringing “Reflections In Black” to thousands of school children annually at UCLA Royce Hall. Lula also shared the “Integrity Award” with actress Loretta Devine at the L.A. Women’s Theater Festival in 2007.

Lula was also chosen by actress Jane Seymour to be part of her Red Dress Project. The goal was to bring attention to the issue of heart disease among women and to urge women top fight the disease by staying active. Lula was one of the women that Jane Seymour chose to paint for the project. Her image suggest that by staying active with dance, specifically African dance, women can help build healthy hearts.

Lula has dozens of other accolades including the “2003 Lady of Wisdom Lifetime Achievement Award” from the from the Modie Bell Senior Citizen’s Foundation; the “2002– Master of the Arts Award – Presented by Recycling Black Dollars for her tireless commitment to dance; the 2001 “Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the “Performing Artists in Schools Association” for her work to bring dance into classrooms at public schools; the 2001 “Educator of the Year Award”, presented at the 7th Annual “American Choreography Awards Gala”; the “2001 KCET Celebrating The Women of Our Community Award”; the 2000 “Lifetime Achievement Award” presented at Dance Fest 2000 for her concert dance work in Los Angeles; and the 2000 Lester Horton Award for Sustained Achievement, presented by the The Dance Resource Center in recognition of her 20 years of continuous excellence in dance in Los Angeles.

—Erwin Washington