Staff + Board

Founding Company Member in 2005
Artistic Director in 2021

Filmmaker and Choreographer Jamila Glass is known for creating cinematic journeys of movement, shaping characters, and building worlds that reflect what make us human.  In addition to creating work as the Artistic Director of L.A. Contemporary Dance Company (where she joined in 2005 as a founding member), she has choreographed extensively in film and television.  Her choreography work includes projects on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, BET, and PRADA and garnered mentions in NY Times, L.A. Times, Essence Magazine, Ebony Magazine, and Mashable.  She recently choreographed and co-directed two commercials for Splice, the music industry's highest quality, royalty-free sample library.  

Glass began her formal training as a nine-year-old scholarship student at The Discovery Dance Group in Houston, Texas. She continued dancing in her spare time as a vocal music major at the multi-Grammy award-winning High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Jamila graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.A. in Cinema-Television (Film & Video Production) and a Minor in Advertising.  

As a performer, she has worked with Ryan Heffington, Galen Hooks, Nina McNeely, Kathryn Burns, David Dorfman, Adam Parson, and Mecca Vazie Andrews.  Other credits include Netflix Original film Mascots from Christopher Guest, American Horror Story, Paul McCartney, Colbie Caillat, Foster the People tour, Mastercard, American Apparel, Samsung, & the NY Times Best Selling photography book Dancers Among Us.

Beyond the stage, Jamila, a director/screenwriter, is currently producing films through her production company The Cutting Room where she has directed 20 critically-acclaimed short dance films, a television pilot, and 2 music videos that have garnered international praise, including film screenings in London, Paris and Lebanon.  Her previous work as a freelance editor includes documentary shorts, national radio commercials, and an award-winning independent television network. Her directorial work for LACDC includes and then life was beautiful, INSECTOS: arte y vida (commissioned by the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain), and SUMMON (featuring the music by Emmy award-winning and Grammy and Oscar-nominated Kris Bowers).  She previously served as LACDC's Media Director & Summer/Winter Intensive Director, elevating the company's visibility across continents. 

She has taught at Schools: Pace University, UCLA, Texas Christian University (TCU), Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Fullerton, Hussian College Los Angeles and has created work for LACDC, TCU, Cal State Fullerton, University of Illinois Edwardsville, and Co/Motion Creation Intensive (Boston).  

Recent: TCU's dance students had such a wonderful experience with Jamila Glass during her Spring 2023 residency that their School of Classical & Contemporary Dance invited her to return in the Fall of 2023 to do another teaching & choreographic residency.  She is honored to share the bill for their Fall Concert with world-renowned choreographer Sidra Bell.

Jamila is represented by Movement Talent Agency and is a member of the Television Academy, the Choreographers Guild and SAG-AFTRA.

Watch her teaching reel and check out her class schedule.

Instagram: @jamilaglass
Website: www.jamilaglass.com

*Headshot by Zack Whitford
*Banner Image by Lee Gumbs

NAPOLEON W GLADNEY has a diverse performance and arts management background which spans seasons and international tours with dance companies including Odyssey Dance Theatre, The Dance Cartel and Backhausdance. National Broadway Tour credits include Wicked The Musical, as Dance Captain/Swing/Chistery Understudy.

In addition he has been involved in the creation of new musicals/shows Me and Caesar Lee (Choreographer - NYMTF Nominee), Dear Evan Hansen (Choreography Lab), and Better for Night (Featured Artist). His work with production companies, hip hop dance teams, and commercial projects span both coasts. Napoleon has worked with artists Agnes Carlson, Meaghan Smith, and Shinedown. Other projects include promos for the FIFA World Cup, music videos for Funny or Die, and commercials for Budweiser and iBillionaire.

As a choreographer and teacher, Napoleon has had the opportunity to travel to teach classes and set choreography on dance companies, teams, university programs and studios around the United States. And was the Program Coordinator and a Full-Time Faculty member for Hussian College LA’s Commercial Dance Program.

As an arts administrator Napoleon has stage managed the mobile opera Hopscotch by Los Angeles’ The Industry and created or held positions for non-profits the Theater at the 14th Street Y and LABA: A Laboratory for Jewish Culture in New York City; MUSE/IQUE, Grand Performances, and Greenway Court Theater in Los Angeles. He has been the Audience Development Manager and Cultural Equity Producing and Programming Manager for Musco Center for the Arts at Chapman University and is currently Executive Director of LA Contemporary Dance Company and Director, Theatrical Programming & Presentations for the Kimmel Cultural Campus.

Quinn O'Connor (she/they) is a producer, stage manager, and arts administrator who has worked at various institutions across the country, including The Public Theater, East West Players, Opera UCLA, L.A. Dance Project, IAMA Theatre Company, and the LA Philharmonic. She is currently the Season Producer for IAMA Theatre Company, commissioning new plays for Los Angeles audiences. Originally from Southern California, Quinn works at the intersection of performance and disability access, both in audience experience and representation by consulting with arts organizations and approaching access through a lens of disability justice. They are involved in various modes of advocacy, ranging from representation in the arts to accessibility in higher education. Quinn intends to open perspectives surrounding disability in the arts sector and create a more equitable environment for all. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Disability Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Instagram: @quinnfelisa

Danielle King was born and raised in Northern California and has since relocated to Los Angeles to pursue her career in the entertainment industry. She attended Loyola Marymount University, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance, Minor in Graphic Design and Emphasis in Public Relations. Danielle is a multi-medium artist and creative, currently represented as a professional dancer, choreographer, model and actress. She has worked with brands and artists, such as Doja Cat, J Balvin, Dillion Francis, SZA, Ariana Grande, Kelly Clarkson, Tyga, Wiz Khalifa, Karol G, Loren Gray, Isabela Merced, Disney, Ford, Geico and more. Danielle's credits also extend to TV/Film, notably on the Grammy's, Billboard Awards, Dear White People (Netflix), A Week Away (Netflix) and more.

King also freelances for major companies, artists and brands as a creative director, producer, director, writer, designer, event coordinator, media manager and videographer/editor. There are no limitations on who and what you can be in Danielle’s eyes, and she prides herself on pushing herself and others past their perceived limits. Danielle is actively pursuing a long-term career in creative direction/directing to share her visions with the world in hopes to expand and shift perspectives.

Instagram: @thedanielleking

Jessie Lee Thorne (she/they) is a multifaceted artist hailing from Los Angeles. Their repertoire encompasses performance art, choreography, teaching, filmmaking, and production management. After attaining a BFA from The Boston Conservatory, Jessie's performance journey has whisked them to renowned theaters and festivals worldwide, including The Tel Aviv Opera House, Jerusalem Theatre, The Lincoln Center, Winter Theater in Russia, Jacobs Pillow, Springboard Danse Montreal, B12 Festival in Germany, The New York City Center, the International Festival for the Arts in Panama, and many more. Jessie has had the privilege of performing works by Micaela Taylor and The TL Collective, Walter Matteini's IDC, Ohad Naharin, Jiri Kylian, Doug Varone, Adam Baruch, Acts of Matter, JA Collective, Margot Gelber, and Dolly Sfeir.

Notably, Jessie has lent their expertise to the world of commercial dance and choreography, contributing to music videos for notable artists such as RYX, Banks, Bishop Briggs, David Archuleta, Kevin McHale, Austin P. McKenzie, Emmit Fenn, and others. Their choreography talents also shine through in Universal’s Feature Film "Bobbleheads" and the award-winning short film "Daisy Boy."

As an educator, Jessie has shared their knowledge through classes and workshops conducted for various companies and universities throughout the United States. Their teaching experience spans prestigious institutions like The Boston Conservatory, Chapman University, UCLA, Orange County HS for the Arts, The TL Collective, LA Contemporary Dance Company, Backhausdance, MashUp Contemporary Dance Company, LA Women's Dance Festival, and LA Dance Festival.

Under the banner of their company, Poets In Motion, Jessie has crafted both captivating films and stage productions that have graced theaters and festivals on a global scale. Their recent film "Topia" has garnered acclaim as the "Best Short Dance Film" at multiple festivals, while the live adaptation of the film premiered at The Odyssey Theater Ensemble as part of their Dance at the Odyssey Festival in 2023.

With an unwavering commitment, Jessie's aspirations are firmly rooted in a lifelong dedication to creating unforgettable artistic experiences and sharing the gift of art with others.

Instagram: @jessieleethorne