Lula Washington Dance Theatre Receives Grant to Reopen During COVID-19

Due to COVID-19, participating in the arts the way we know it—especially performance arts—has completely changed. But as a powerful antidote for coping with the heightened stress of these turbulent times, it is when we need the arts most. Recently, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas provided a $150,000 grant to the Lula Washington Dance Theatre (LWDT) in the heart of Crenshaw so that classes, particularly those oriented towards youth, can resume safely under the circumstances of COVID-19.

“This re-dedication and unveiling are built on the foundation off our decades of hard work, love, and investing in children and families. This is a place that dancers can freely express themselves all year-round as we continue to adjust to a new normal,” said Supervisor Ridley-Thomas. “I am proud to be a supporter of this organization and its new outdoor expansion. This dance company continues to be a beacon of light in this community. In addition to learning about dance, community members can become change agents for their families, for their communities, and for the County.”

Not only is the community dance theater now able to host outdoor classes year-round, it is also able to now provide free dance training for neighborhood children and “Community Moves” classes every Saturday for all those who want to partake in the expression and healing of dance.

“We were just understanding COVID and then the world erupted into protests over the killing of George Floyd. I wanted LWDT to be able to do something to help our community heal and express themselves safely. We knew that because of COVID we would have to do everything outside. This would mean permits, and big-ticket rentals that we just could not afford. This grant award enabled LWDT to purchase and own an outdoor stage and canopies, allowing us to program our parking lot for classes and performances year-round and into the future–using COVID metrics for physical distance, wearing masks and requiring folks to sign up and RSVP because space will still be limited,” Tamica Washington-Miller, Associate Director of the Lula Washington Dance Theatre.

“No one knows when we will be out of the COVID era. Being able to present and program in our parking lot is a life-line opportunity for us. This allows us to continue to provide access to the art of dance and a space for life affirming, creative expression, and cultural arts to our community”, said the dance theater’s Founder and Artistic Director Lula Washington.

“Supervisor Ridley Thomas has always been a supporter of the arts, and, of our organization,” added Lula Washington Dance Theatre Founding Executive Director, Erwin Washington. ‘This donation to us will benefit our community for years to come.”

The ribbon cutting for the grand COVID-19 reopening of the community dance theater was a joyous occasion with music, dance, and singing—all in a socially-distanced, safe outdoor environment. The Washington family shared heartfelt remarks on what reopening the Lula Washington Dance Theatre means to their family and organization, and especially what this means for the youth in South Los Angeles. As a gesture of thanks, youth participating in the dance theater’s classes gifted Supervisor Ridley-Thomas with a plant to signify the growth that will be able to occur in the community by allowing community members to continue fostering empowerment and having an outlet for expression through dance.

“Arts communicate justice, arts communicate peace, arts communicate the possibility for a better world. Everyone can speak and understand the language of the arts, and everyone can dance and appreciate its virtues,” said Supervisor Ridley-Thomas.

The arts matter. The arts heal. Thus, we are elated to welcome back Lula Washington Dance Theatre and its dancers so we can harness the power of art to overcome the multilayered crises we are presently faced with.

The Lula Washington Contemporary Dance Foundation (LWCDF) is a non-profit organization founded in 1980 by Lula and Erwin Washington to provide a creative outlet for minority dance artists in South Los Angeles. The Foundation seeks to build bridges between people of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds through its interrelated parts: the professional Dance Company (Lula Washington Dance Theatre), the Dance School, the Youth Dance Ensemble, and the Dance Studio. To reserve a space for their free classes on Saturday, please email school@lulawashington.org.