Spanish artist Laila White overcomes barriers

DW (English)

For Laila White, a visual artist and dancer based in Madrid, her most important dance partners are two crutches. She's made a living using disability as part of her art.

Transcript

00:00For me, there's no doubt.

00:10Dance is the best thing that could have happened to me.

00:13We carry things inside us that we need to let out.

00:17Dancing gives me the chance to do just that.

00:19For me, dance is total freedom.

00:25Laila White was born in a refugee camp in Algeria.

00:28She contracted polio there, which led to the partial paralysis of her legs.

00:32At the age of eight, she was taken in by a family in Girona, Spain.

00:40I discovered dance during a pretty rough time.

00:43I was bullied at school.

00:45One day, I came home, went to my room, put on some music, and turned off the lights.

00:51It gave me a chance to express everything I was feeling inside, anger, frustration.

00:59In that moment, I realized I was dancing without knowing what dancing was.

01:09The crutches are very important to me.

01:12They don't inspire me.

01:14They're a part of me that I couldn't do without.

01:18They're my best friends.

01:21They're my lovers.

01:23They're my companions.

01:28They're everything.

01:30The only time they don't exist for me is in my dreams.

01:42The self-taught dancer had her first performance in 2014.

01:46Today, she performs on international stages and collaborates with renowned choreographers

01:50from across Europe.

01:52The road to here hasn't been easy, though.

01:54But as time goes on, Laila has begun dancing in increasingly prominent companies.

01:58England was her first artistic home.

02:02England was a very important doorway for me.

02:05That's where my career as a dancer began.

02:08When someone steps into your life and says, trust in your work, you eventually start to

02:13believe it.

02:17But that takes a lot of effort.

02:20It doesn't happen overnight.

02:23It's about gaining self-confidence and embracing the crutches on stage.

02:30In addition to dance, Laila is also a visual artist and photographer.

02:34Through her images, she explores her relationship with her twin sister, who remained in the

02:38refugee camp in Algeria.

02:40As a result, she didn't grow up with her.

02:46Dance and photography are very different forms of expression.

02:51These self-portraits were another refuge for me, and the only way to visualize my twin

02:57sister's existence.

03:00As I got older, I started to wonder, does she look like me?

03:08I think I found her through photography.

03:14Two forms of artistic expression with two crutches and two families.

03:19And with each movement and every photo, Laila White is telling her story.

03:28The borders lie within ourselves, but if you know how to bring what you love to life, there

03:34are no boundaries.

03:36You can dance without crutches, without feet, without fingers.

03:41In the end, all barriers are just in your head.

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