Always Moving with Jeffrey Louizia

For local hip-hop dancer and educator Jeffrey Louizia, dancing is a powerful tool of expression. “I love that I can transfer the language anywhere; wherever I travel, dance seems like it can be universal,” Louizia instantly remarks. With his dance background, Louizia believes that dancing is linked to language, music and movement. 

Since he was four years old, movement has been an integral part of Louizia’s life. As a first generation Haitian-American originally from Boston, dance was very culturally driven, where a “culture of dance came first,” Louizia says. Growing up, Louizia started with the traditional Haitian folkloric movement, which meant storytelling and prayer was portrayed through dance.

“I love that I can transfer the language anywhere; wherever I travel, dance seems like it can be universal.”

Louizia went from going to family-held dance practices on weekends, to experiencing hip hop at house parties. Louizia lights up when he describes himself as a young boy, seeing grown-ups vibing and dancing to what felt like a whole new language to him. “I was looking for an outside purpose outside of what I was training my whole life doing,” Louizia expresses. It was moments like hearing the strong beats and rhythm of hip-hop seeping through the ceiling from the upstairs neighbors and dancing the solo at the dance party in the third grade that drew Louizia to hip-hop. 

“Something about hip hop that I learned is that it’s composed of five elements that I can’t find in ballet, jazz or tap,” Louizia explains. To Louizia, the introduction of his hip-hop interest was not just the live, in-person experience at the house parties, but because of how unique hip hop music and movement is. Scratching turntables, masters of ceremonies, breaking, graffiti/graphic artistry and knowledge discovery are the elements that Louizia has found to be the distinctive qualities of hip-hop that makes the art form compelling to him. “It screams a literal and infinite energy that can flow through all kinds of art,” Louizia illustrates.

“I have to be a guider, not a leader … It’s about the masses, not me.”

As someone who has been teaching since the age of 18, Louizia discusses his journey and the importance of dance within the community. “A class to me already means community, because there are [people from] different walks of life that are going to be there and it’s probably not going to be the same people you grew up [with],” Louizia says, emphasizing that people from all different backgrounds can help each learn through the shared “tool” of dancing. He heavily points out that dancing is a tool, and how there is meaning behind the movements. “I have to be a guider, not a leader … It’s about the masses, not me,” he says. Louizia reminisces on his first few classes as a dance educator and how he learned early on that his goal was to do more than teach moves and showcase his skills. He wants students to know how powerful dance as a tool can really be, as well as taking his ego out of it.

Going from Odyssey Dance Theater to Millenium Dance Complex in Salt Lake City, Louizia utilizes his dance roots in traditional Haitian folkloric movement, along with his passion for hip-hop within his own choreography and teachings. “It feels organically culture-infused and beautiful,” Louizia says. Having danced for almost 40 years and taught dance for 22, Louizia has a saying that keeps him going in times of “dancer’s block”: “I find infinite inspiration in everything.” As Louizia describes his creative process, he demonstrates through dance that even a wall speaker can spark movement.

As a dancer and mentor, Louizia expresses that dance is something that everyone is capable of learning. He says that it is the mind and people’s doubts and fears that really get in the way of the music-to-movement connection. “It’s the mental castle that we are building around us, to protect us from our evil thoughts … In this realm of movement, it’s to not judge yourself and to not say ‘I suck!’” Louizia says. 

As a picture is worth a thousand words, dancing represents so much more. Louizia says, “I always say I’m watching a live moving picture and the artist is bringing to life these sounds and connection.” Check out Jeffrey Louizia on his Instagram at @jeffreyboom and check out his local classes at Millenium Dance Complex in Salt Lake City!

Graphic Designer: Alex Guzman | @guzzybear17

Walk us through how you created this layout. What inspired you when designing it?

Given how important movement was in the photos, I wanted to convey that in the layout as well. I looked at a bunch of Thrasher Magazine layouts where they also emphasized movement and how they incorporated their subject and other elements as well. 

Tell us about your design background. How has your style evolved over time?

Ever since high school I have taken an interest in graphic design. From then to now, my style has evolved when being able to incorporate amazing themes and concepts. 

What are some of your design inspirations or influences? 

I love me some manga, and comics where so much can be conveyed in a single panel—as well as album covers and German illustrator Christoph Niemann.

What does your graphic design process usually look like? 

*PANICCC* immediately followed by a rush of motivation, research, drafting, *PANICCC ONCE AGAIN* then revising. 

What is your favorite aspect of graphic design?

Being able to tell a story visually, and picking fonts a colors. God damn, I love a good font and a good color palette. 

Read more performance and theatre features here:
Play Reviews: The 10th Annual Great Salt Lake Fringe
Heidi Butterfly & Chad Rockstar: DIY Festival Performer