MSP 182: Jamila Glass

A World Immersed in Art with Dancer, Filmmaker, Choreographer, and Artistic Director Jamila Glass

Jamila Glass is a filmmaker, choreographer, and Artistic Director of L.A. Contemporary Dance Company (LACDC), where she has been a member since its founding in 2005. She has choreographed for Netflix, HBO, Hulu, BET, and PRADA, with her work featured in the NY Times, L.A. Times, and more. In 2024, she co-founded the Los Angeles Choreographers Institute and has directed 21 short dance films, a TV pilot, and music videos through her production company, The Cutting Room. A graduate of USC’s School of Cinema-Television, her work blends movement, storytelling, and world-building to reflect the human experience. On this episode of Movers and Shapers: A Dance Podcast, Erin sits down with Jamila Glass to discuss her love for dance, her time at a performing arts high school, and her journey through USC’s School of Cinema-Television. Jamila explores how dance and film began to intertwine in her life, unpacking her powerful statement: “I’m a better dancer because I’m a filmmaker, and I’m a better filmmaker because I’m a dancer.” She reflects on nearly five years as Artistic Director of the L.A. Contemporary Dance Company (LACDC) and shares her current projects and excitement for what’s ahead. Don’t miss this insightful conversation with an inspiring artist. Thanks for listening!

Key Points From This Episode:

·       Jamila shares the origin story of her love for dance.

·       She reflects on her time in a performing arts high school (in Houston).

·       What she wanted to get into after high school and her first entry into film: video editing.

·       Jamila takes us through her USC journey and her plan for after graduation.

·       How her two worlds of dance and film began to merge. 

·       She explains how she started and her experience choreographing for film and television.

·       Jamila delves into and unpacks her quote, “I’m a better dancer because I’m a filmmaker, and I’m a better filmmaker because I’m a dancer.”

·       Why she finds it interesting that people grapple with the idea that they need to choose one thing and stick to it for the entirety of their careers. 

·       Jamila details her role and insights gained as Artistic Director of the L.A. Contemporary Dance Company (LACDC)

·       What she’s creating now and the energy behind her upcoming projects.

Jamila Glass is a creative working in Los Angeles in film and television, and the Artistic Director of L.A. Contemporary Dance Company. 

“I think the best artists are people who bring all of their experiences into the room with them, whether those experiences, thoughts, or interests seem related to movement or not. Any one of us can be in — the movement style class and we can know the traditional way of moving in those styles but it’s the other life experiences and interest that distinguish the artist, in my opinion.” — Jamila Glass

For more on this episode and artists: Movers & Shapers: A Dance Podcast

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