St. Paul native DejaJoelle is a force of nature who uses dance and movement to inform healing and wellness, especially within the Black community.

The art form of dance was a part of DejaJoelle’s narrative from an early age and almost by happenstance.

DejaJoelle talks about how dance was always interwoven into her life by way of Black culture.

In 2015, DejaJoelle founded her dance company BLAQ.

The BLAQ aesthetic currently being developed by DejaJoelle “is a dance process rooted in Traditional West African dance and Black culture to evoke self-love, healing, and body reclamation; centering Black women who have survived sexual 2019, DejaJoelle expanded her practice by launching BLAQ LOVE, through which she teaches groups and individuals how to embrace self-love and healing with tools like dance, guided-meditation, and affirmations.