Meet Yusuf Nasir | Director | Choreographer | Dancer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Yusuf Nasir and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yusuf, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk is necessary when discussing art, the creation of art, and the life of an artist. When I think of some of the greatest works ever created in human history, regardless of the creative discipline it is derived from, you can usually feel the artist wholly driven to create their work out of dire necessity. Nine times out of ten, that came with great risk. And when I say risk, I don’t just mean purely financial, which is typically the de facto since being an artist and financial stability tend to miss each other. It is, more importantly, the physical, mental, and emotional risk, the depletion of the person that the art is coming from, that most audiences consuming art don’t see, that usually has the greatest risk attached.

Risk, throughout my life, hasn’t always played much of a role in advancing me professionally. Risk has allowed me to learn more about myself and my creative abilities to inspire and expand my audiences, which can be very rewarding. But as stated above, all the risks I’ve taken hasn’t resulted in any professional or monetary security or advancement I can plot on any graph. This realization, coupled with where I am in my life, is something I have had to start taking great note of. I love creating; I do it with my whole being, with the risk of not getting anything back in return (which I feel is how creation should be approached) However, this can become daunting and frustrating at times, for anyone like myself, who takes a lot of withdrawals from themselves to create, meaning, when the imbalance between effort and achievement can’t be overlooked. Would I change my path because of this, no. Do I need to find ways to make sure that what I give to my creativity doesn’t leave me feeling empty or burnt out so I can continue, yes.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What sets me apart is that I commit to what I create, whether it’s understood or not. I’ve been commissioned to do a wide range of choreographic works over the past ten years and at the center of that work is my love for dance and its foundation, but also the strong decision to throw all rules or structure away and blend styles. This element, this through line, is what I feel makes my work, specifically my longer form concert dance works, an opulent and rich experience for the viewer. I plan to take this position with me as I move into filmmaking.

I never know how to answer questions about where I am professionally, because the reality is that the goal post is always moving, according to my own expectations. So most times I just say to myself “You’ve come this far Yusuf, might as well keep going” . My proudest moment to date would be the completion of my first short film “Regret to Inform You” that I wrote, directed, choreographed, and produced. The film’s completion and run culminated in Variety Magazine choosing it as the top Oscar Pick for Best Live Action Short in 2022, for the 2023 year. The short didn’t get the official nom, and it was a huge blow, given the amount of hours and hell, and I mean hell, it took to make it (independent film is not for the weak). Nevertheless, I am happy that it garnered such a great reception within Hollywood and the film community, especially for it being my first film.

Nothing about my journey has been easy. In fact, when I think about the amount of trauma and extenuating circumstances I have had to endure and overcome in my career, I think to myself I must be crazy for continuing do this or madly in love with film and dance, which can be the same emotion I suppose. If I had to put a lesson to all of it, from the accomplishments to the low moments, it would be this: There are seasons and reasons for everything. Sometimes it’s not on us to understand. Learn from it and make each day we get and each step we take make a little more sense, and not to be so hard on ourselves. It’s ok to breath, and let things flow as they must.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m the worst host ever lol. I would give them an Uber budget or the keys to my car and say your adventure, without me, begins now.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have to give the most credit and recognition to my close friends and family. They have supported me good or bad, rain or sun. I’ve given alot of thank you’s to persons I’ve met throughout my entertainment career that have nurtured the artist in me. Have helped and assisted me in all my varied artistic pursuits over the years. But without my close friends and family, particularly my mother, I don’t think I would have lasted this long in entertainment and Los Angeles as a whole.

Instagram: nasirwashere1

Other: Short film link: https://vimeo.com/770075342?share=copy https://goldenglobes.com/video/exclusive-interview-with-yusuf-nasir/