Today we’d like to introduce you to Yaminah Legohn.
Yaminah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve always believed that art is more than entertainment, it’s a tool for empowerment, storytelling, and transformation. My journey began in Los Angeles, where I was exposed to music, dance, and culture from an early age. I went on to earn my B.A. in Speech Communications and Dance at San Francisco State University, which gave me both the performance training and communication foundation to amplify voices through the arts.
After graduating, I moved back to Los Angeles to focus on my entertainment career, where I had the opportunity to work with incredible artists and companies including Shakira, Pharrell, Lil Wayne, Tony! Toni! Toné!, Disney and more. Soon after, I relocated to New York, where I spent over a decade performing, choreographing, and producing. During this time, I also had the opportunity to appear in a promotional project with international superstar Sean Paul, and showcased my choreography on iconic platforms such as AFROPUNK, the Apollo Theater, World of Dance, and the Stephen Colbert Show. Those years taught me the power of versatility and how blending cultural history with creative expression can leave a lasting impact.
Today, as the founder of Art Of Legohn®, I continue to merge dance, visual art, and cultural storytelling through workshops, productions, and events. I’m also building my fashion and design line, Yaminah Legohn Designs®, which gives me another channel to express identity and creativity. Beyond performance, I’m passionate about teaching, helping artists, youth, and professionals build confidence through unapologetic self-expression.
Looking back, every stage from being a student, a debutante, and a performer, to becoming an award-winning educator and creative director, has shaped my mission: to use art as a way to honor heritage, inspire confidence, and create meaningful cultural impact.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road. The entertainment industry is full of challenges, from navigating inconsistent opportunities to having to constantly prove yourself in spaces that don’t always value cultural arts or give Black women the same visibility and resources as others. When I first started out, I had to hustle to create my own platforms because the traditional spaces didn’t always open doors for me. That’s one of the reasons I founded Art Of Legohn®, to create a stage where cultural expression, creativity, and empowerment could shine without compromise.
Living in both Los Angeles and New York taught me how to persevere. There were times when resources were scarce, or when balancing my roles as a performer, choreographer, teacher, and entrepreneur felt overwhelming. I’ve had to deal with financial sacrifices, rejection, and even people underestimating what I could do. But each of those moments pushed me to be more resourceful, innovative, and determined to build something lasting.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that the road doesn’t have to be smooth to be meaningful. The challenges taught me to trust myself, honor my vision, and keep showing up authentically. Today, I see those struggles as the foundation for my growth, they gave me the resilience to expand my artistry, launch my design line, and inspire others to keep going no matter what obstacles they face.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
At my core, I’m a confidence and creative expression expert who uses the arts as a vehicle for empowerment. I’m the founder of Art Of Legohn®, a multimedia arts company that brings together dance, visual art, and cultural storytelling through workshops, productions, and creative direction. I specialize in culturally-rooted dance, blending West African, Hip Hop, Jazz, Dancehall, and Contemporary styles, and I’m passionate about creating spaces where people can connect to heritage, identity, and confidence through movement.
What I’m most proud of is the impact my work has on people’s lives. Whether it’s a student who rediscovers their voice through dance, an audience member who feels inspired by cultural pride, or an artist who gains confidence on stage, those moments remind me why I do this work. I’ve had the honor of being featured in outlets like Paper Magazine, Dance Spirit, and ShoutOut LA, and I’ve worked with iconic artists like Shakira, Pharrell, and Sean Paul.
What sets me apart is that I live at the intersection of culture, confidence, and creativity. My work is informed by both my professional experience and ongoing graduate studies in communication, which allow me to strengthen how I guide others and share the transformative power of the arts. I don’t just teach or choreograph for performance, I use art as a tool for confidence, healing, and transformation.
Beyond performance, I’m also building my fashion and design line, Yaminah Legohn Designs®, which gives me another outlet to fuse cultural expression with individuality and empowerment.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I believe the most important quality to my success is resilience, the ability to keep showing up, even when the path is uncertain or full of obstacles. In the arts and entertainment industry, there are always challenges such as limited opportunities, rejection, and the need to constantly innovate. Resilience has allowed me to navigate those challenges, build my brands, and create platforms where others can thrive, including Art Of Legohn®, Legohn TV™, Red Light Special: A Night of Urban Burlesque®, and Dancehall Battle NYC®.
Equally important is authenticity. Staying true to my vision, honoring my cultural roots, and expressing myself unapologetically has set me apart and allowed me to connect deeply with audiences and students. Combining resilience with authenticity has been key to sustaining a career that’s both creatively fulfilling and impactful for others.
In addition to my ongoing work empowering artists and students, I’m hosting the
Yaminah Legohn Designs® Art Gala on November 8th, an immersive art and cultural experience celebrating confidence, creativity, and storytelling, located at Haus of Ghetto Stiletto in Alhambra, CA. Media are welcome to attend, and full event details are available in the link below. I’d love to offer myself as a source for interviews, commentary, or coverage, highlighting how creative expression and cultural arts can inspire confidence and transformation this fall.
Link to details on Yaminah Legohn Designs® Art Gala
https://www.yaminahlegohn.com/art-gala
Pricing:
- $15 Early Patrons [Art Gala Tickets]
- $25 Advance Online [Art Gala Tickets]
- $30 at the door [Art Gala Tickets]
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yaminahlegohn.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yaminahlegohn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yaminahl/?ref=hl
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaminah-legohn/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/yaminahlegohn
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@yaminahlegohn
Image Credits
Photos by Mike Quain- @quainphoto
