LAGANJA ESTRANJA PERFORMS | “Living Room” | Choreographed by Jay Jackson

In this piece “Living Room,” created in collaboration with Kristen Lovell for Backlit Gallery in Nottingham, a broken angel fights to find a footing. Scarred and bandaged, much like Icarus, this creature is weighed down quite literally and figuratively. But with the loss of its heels and a new sense of grounding, we see freedom and flight. Music is “Angels” by @thegr8khalid Performed at Bruce Wood Dance Studio in Dallas, TX on May 28, 2018 in celebration of Dr. Linda James retirement. Dr. Linda James has served the Dallas Independent School District for 38 years, and I was truly blessed to be one of her students at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts! “DJ” not only taught me how to dance, she taught me how to love. Her patience is unlimited! We spent countless hours before and after school choreographing together for “Rep II” and “The Entertainers.” Due to her mentorship and influence, I was chosen as a 2007 Presidential Scholar in the Arts for choreography at Youngarts and performed my work at the Kennedy Center. There’s not a dance step I do I can’t trace back to her, and I’m so thankful to call DJ my friend!