Hi, I'm Jamila!

Originally from the Bay Area, California, I attended Howard University for two years, received my BA in Dance from Hampshire College, and my MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Wilson College. 

An important underlying component of my research is in cultivating a decolonized school of thought which centers the lived experience of BIPOC individuals and communities within the lineage Authentic Movement. 

Authentic Movement is a practice of Carl Jung's active imagination which was originally developed by Mary Starks Whitehouse. I use Authentic Movement as a lens through which to contextualize a dialogue between composition, horses, and the African-rooted ritual of the community dance circle. In this dialogue lies the opportunity to explore the spiritual dimensions of the circle, spirit possession & the process of being mounted (horse by human, and human by spirit), and the way these things conversate with contemporary needs, trauma-informed practice, consent, liberation, and sovereignty. 

I studied Authentic Movement with Daphne Lowell and Alton Wasson through their Contemplative Dance Workshops and have completed their Year-Long Training Program in Contemplative Dance for professionals. I am an apprentice with Brooke Sullivan of the Himalayan Sage Tradition and am a 500-Hour Registered Yoga Teacher. I trained in Equine-Assisted Learning with Lori Halliday and Farah DeJohnette and I continue to be mentored by both. My background in dance, theater, cultural & community expressive arts, natural horsemanship, and emotional and trauma release work has helped to shape the way I create, teach, and move through the world. 

My purpose in this life is to support people in remembering and healing our sacred sense of belonging to nature. This sense of belonging is everything. It is where our relationship to our ancestors, to our medicines, to our ability to heal and create is rooted. 

I have been performing, lecturing, teaching classes, leadership trainings and workshops at colleges, universities, schools, community centers and conferences for the past 14 years, some of which include: Mills College, Claremont Middle School, Destiny Arts Center, La Pena Cultural Center, Hampshire College, Mt. Holyoke College, Smith College, UMass Amherst, Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter School, Amherst Regional High School, American College Dance Association Festival, CLPP Conference, Earthdance Center for Creative Living, The Cummington Church.