East coast born and Chicago raised choreographer Leila Henry premiered her “Sincerely” series last month in front of a packed crowd in the South Loop. She has long been highly regarded throughout the Chicago dance community even with a reputation of shyness; you would not know that to be a small culpability from her recent project. A little sex appeal, rage, sass, and an air of quirkiness are all that surrounds the seven deadly sins project. Timidity is certainly not present at all in the overall flow, rightfully so considering the subject, but Leila’s very bio will bring up the perplexity of her teachers and peers when she performs. To continue, it is regarded as “a liberating moment for her, and she never looked back.” A precise representation of what Leila would soon accomplish with her talent.

“Sincerely” was meant to be an interpretation of the seven deadly sins, to which she says the concept developed after working on a previous mini dance film that was called “No Gluts No Glory.” This was based on a gluttonous subject that followed three quirky characters fighting over a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. “I was so intrigued by the idea of telling a complete story in a short amount of time, that I came up with the idea of creating a series of ‘shorts.’ The ‘gluttonous’ nature of “No Gluts, No Glory” inspired me to base the series on the seven deadly sins.”   Her collaboration with local cinematographer Katie Moffitt is what helped give this vision the support it needed along with several rehearsals, to finalize it in just over a year. “It is a playful, quirky, yet dramatic series of seven concept videos, each illustrating one of the seven sins. Conceptually, I decided to use relatable, every day scenarios to show that everyone ‘sins’ in one way or another,” says Leila on how the concept was developed. She goes on to explain what kept her inspired throughout the process of creating the choreography, “Most of my work is concept and story-driven, and the story inspires the choreography. In my process, I developed the concepts first, and then created the movement. Once I am deep into the choreographic process, I become immersed in it. I’d compare this feeing to being lost in a good book or hypnotized by a great movie. I’ve never written an actual script, but I imagine that writers visualize every scene, plot twist, and detail of their film as they’re writing, as if they are watching the movie in their mind. This is what happens as I create. I can visualize the story as I choreograph, and before I know it, the piece is complete.”

Since the popularity of social media outlets like YouTube or Vimeo, it isn’t uncommon to see a dance video with a full story or a class that is professionally shot. It seems that a lot of choreographers are utilizing this outlet to further drive the creativity of what dancers represent instead of just a background accessory. “I absolutely love choreographing for the stage, but I chose to create films for many reasons. As an artist I value the art of storytelling, and there are unique elements of fantasy and story telling that can only be captured on film. Photography and film are moments sealed in time that can be viewed over and over again, and this series will be no exception. Because films have more tangibility, this series has the potential to reach audiences far and wide. This project has given me a newfound appreciation and passion for film, and creating dance for the camera.” However compelling it may be, having the overall vision and getting down to the concept and execution can also be draining. Leila did meet some challenges, “For the most part, I felt relatively in control in rehearsals, because I had a vision, and generally knew what I wanted. The first few videos were the easiest for me to get through. The ideas were fresh, and I was still newly inspired and excited to take on a project of this magnitude. However, after completing five out of the seven videos, I finally hit a three month long rough patch. I became burnt out. I was drained of ideas, stressed beyond belief, and I became uninspired to create. I knew it was time for a mental break. I took a little time away from the project, and after what felt like 8 billion idea changes, I finally found a concept that worked and I ran with it.”

What seems like probably the easiest part of putting this project together was utilizing talent for her concept. Chicago has exponentially grown in the arts since the expansion on urban dance on a global scale. This is the benefit of being part of a growing community, “almost everyone I associate with are dancers, so it was pretty easy for me to find talent for the videos, and I’m thankful for how enthusiastic all of them were to be a part of this project. It makes my job so much easier and more fun. There is so much raw talent in Chicago, too. I’m so glad I have a platform to showcase it.”

Currently Leila doesn’t have any plans for any upcoming projects, but solely wants to focus on promoting “Sincerely” beyond Chicago and the Midwest. Though seeing this project to completion had some overwhelming benefits, “To have an idea or a vision is one thing, but to be proactive enough to make the vision a reality is another. I have only been creating for a few short years, but this is definitely my biggest project thus far. Prior to “Sincerely”, I had only created four other concept videos over the span of four years. Creating seven videos in ONE year was an intense process, but I am overwhelmed with the feeling of accomplishment, and I am extremely pleased with the outcome. Putting myself out there as been a scary, vulnerable, but necessary process, because I am hoping that this series will encourage aspiring dancers and choreographers to explore their artistry and create their own work.”

There are many that have an aim to bring Chicago to the forefront as far as talent and art. What Leila Henry is doing for the community of dancers based here is far from just and expansion and can be considered a more personal reach to unify it. Leila’s premiere party was faithful to this concept when I witnessed the support she received that evening. Truly this has more than just connected them as a community, it is a family.

Watch “WRATH”

This article is originally from Halfstack Magazine’s Spring Issue 2017