Aquilah Ohemeng: A choreographer’s journey to uncover hidden truths
Aquilah Ohemeng, whose artist name is KHILA, is a multidisciplinary choreographer graduating with an MFA in choreographic inquiry from the department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance. She has spent her life embarking on an artistic journey that transcends mere movement. Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, Ohemeng's relationship with dance has always been more than an art form.
"Growing up, I've always moved. Movement was something second nature to me," she said. “It sounds cliché, but I feel like I came out the womb with rhythm.”
Her early years were steeped in improvisational dance, a testament to her innate skills and an early indication of her future in choreography.
"I always choreographed, even without knowing I was doing it," she said. "I would put steps together or moves next to moves, fusing everything I learned. My first dance teacher was improvisation. Improvisation and just mimicking what I saw on my VHS tapes and with my favorite performers like Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson.”
Ohemeng's work has already been recognized for its depth and innovation. She received an honorable mention in the second-annual Class Artist competition sponsored by the UCLA Chancellor’s Council for the Arts for her piece "PASS US NOT: Holy Ghosted.” This evening-length group performance reimagines Alvin Ailey's "Revelations" through the lens of Generation Z's experiences in a post-pandemic United States. It embodies her commitment to exploring historical narratives and contemporary culture through an experiential and multicultural lens.
“I viewed this work as a way to share with my peers the questions that, at least for me, that I'm thinking about such as ‘Where are we going as people?’” she said. “Especially between the Trayvon Martin era up until now, things have just almost seemed like a big snowball just rolling and rolling and rolling and never having time to fully process, at least for me as a young person. I see this work as an incubator, as a space for just witnessing, processing and grieving.”
“PASS US NOT” is also informed by Ohemeng’s faith as a Christian, and the parallels that she sees between her own experiences with faith and doubt and Ailey’s. She was also keenly influenced by the Civil Rights experiences in her own family. Her grandmother Amy J. Ohemeng participated in the Montgomery bus protests in the 1960s.
“I wanted to converse with themes of strife, desperation for hope as well as confront the idea of divine omnipresence,” she said. “I know that I’m personally wrestling with such feelings in these times of uncertainty.”
Ohemeng's formal dance training began at Philadanco’s Youth Ensemble, and later the Koresh School of Dance where she honed her skills across various styles, including hip-hop/street dance, contemporary, and ballet. She credits these experiences with shaping her unique dance aesthetic, which blends diverse techniques into a cohesive, expressive form.
Her academic journey first took her to Spelman College, where she initially pursued a major in Health Sciences with aspirations of becoming a pharmacist. However, her passion for dance eventually led her to switch majors, earning a degree in DancePerformance and Choreography. At Spelman, she found a community that nurtured her artistic growth and provided a solid foundation in dance.
Ohemeng's decision to attend UCLA for her graduate studies was influenced by the university's alignment with her values and artistic goals.
"I was drawn to the parallels between UCLA's World Arts and Culture/Dance Department mission statement and Spelman College's Department of Dance Performance and Choreography," she said.
This alignment has been crucial in her development as an artist, allowing her to delve deeper into the themes that drive her work.
One of the defining moments of her time at UCLA was performing alongside the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company as part of the November 2022 Los Angeles premiere of “What Problem?” presented in Royce Hall by UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance.
"It was a full circle moment as Mr. Jones's work was something I studied as an undergraduate student," she said. “Being able to meet him, exchange words as well as share the stage with him was one of the most beautiful moments that I can remember ever as a young dancer, but also just as someone completely new to UCLA's community.”
This experience, among others, has enriched her artistic journey and expanded her network of collaborators and mentors. Looking to the future, Ohemeng aspires to continue her work as a choreographer and director, with hopes of working bi-coastally and even globally.
"I will continue working as a creative entrepreneur through my own company, KHILA LLC," she said.
Her company specializes in choreography, creative direction, and art design. She envisions it as a platform for furthering her artistic and educational pursuits. Her company name and her artist name is partially inspired by the abbreviation of her hometown “PHILA.”
“It also pays homage to my various childhood nicknames like ‘Quilah’ and ‘Killa’ that resemble a similar pronunciation,” Ohemeng said. “Under this guise, I am reminded of Ursula K. Le Guin's quote, ‘The creative adult is the child who survived.’”
Ohemeng is passionate about education and the African diaspora, considering possibilities in both higher education and K-12 settings. Serving as a teaching assistant in the department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance and as part of the Visual and Performing Arts Education program in the school was a highlight of her time at UCLA.
“I am forever inspired by the students who I taught and mentored over the last two years,” she said.
As she graduates, Ohemeng leaves a lasting impact on UCLA and the broader dance community. Her work challenges viewers to confront political tensions and aspire for an equitable and decolonized future.
Her advice to her fellow graduates and artists?
"It costs nothing to be kind, and always remember your ‘why’," she said.
Instagram: @aokhila
info@bykhila.com
Story by Jessica Wolf
Posted 06.06.24
All images by Angel Origgi.
