You’ve probably seen Fatima Robinson’s visionary choreography in action, whether it was in a Pharrel Williams or Rihanna music video, gracing the stage of Pepsi’s Super Bowl LVI halftime show, or, say, the Beyoncé Renaissance tour. (It’s no surprise she’s been dubbed “one of the most sought-after hip-hop and popular music choreographers in the world” by The New York Times.)
When we see someone standing in their power so fully, we can’t help but want to spend time in their light. Fatima sat down with us from the sanctuary that is her home in Ojai, California—a picturesque city set in a valley in the Topatopa Mountains, about two hours from Los Angeles—to discuss the path to unlocking her most empowered and authentic self; her spiritual, emotional, and physical sustenance; and creating space for inspired creation.
On Dancing: “It's always been the place where I felt the most freedom, the closest to the universe, closer to source. [That’s] what dance is to me.”
On Early Days: “I have two younger sisters, and I used to make up these elaborate dances whenever my mom would have guests over. When I got to high school… I would enter dance contests and eventually started going to these 18-and-over dance clubs [here in Hollywood]. I was at the right place at the right time… and my hobby became my career.”
On Clubs As Her Classrooms: “I used to tell my mom dancing was like going to church for me. Clubs were my classroom, but really dancing and listening to music and being free with my body, that was like going to church.”
On Body Intelligence: “For me, being able to be one with my body and really understand what it's telling me [is important]. When my iron is too low, my body expresses to me that it's tired and to be more conscious of my intake of spinach and certain foods. Your body doesn't lie and it definitely will let you know what's going on—and, as a dancer, you're just more in tune with what that feeling is.”
On Nutrition With Sakara: “When I'm eating well, I feel alive. I just love not having to think about it. Not having to worry about preparing, not having to think about it. And then it being so nourishing, you know, sitting out here and just putting my salad together. It was just so good.”
On Creating Space for Creation: “When my food is taken care of, it allows me to just think about all the things I can create. Like, I love not having to spend the time to do it myself because someone else has thought it out for me in such a well-curated way that it's perfect.”
On Keeping Pacts (with Herself): “I made a pact of happiness with myself, and it's just really been such a wonderful road to be on. When you fall off track, remember that pact you made with yourself: how does this job, how does this travel, or how does this relationship all serve you in the long run? And how are you feeling? [That] just allowed me to have this relationship where I checked in with myself every now and then.”
On Her Daily Tea Ceremony: “It's a practice of silence. It's done in silence and it's really the art of doing nothing, but it's the preparation of it, it's the attention to detail, the small, tiny things that mean so much. It's the sound of the water pouring, it's the smells from the incense. It's just a really beautiful way to just connect with yourself.”
On Reverence For Mother Earth: “Since moving to Ojai, I've had to have a lot of reverence for the Chumash people who were here before us on the land, but also for the nature, for the animals who we have to convene with here in Ojai. In my backyard, I'll get quail and wild turkeys and lots of rabbits and squirrels. Nature is my religion. When I sit in nature, I am in awe of the beauty that surrounds me, and it just makes me understand that there's a higher power creating all of this.”
On Rituals That Nourish Her Joy: “To nourish my life, I definitely take time-off and take really good-quality time-off where I read and spend time with good friends. I love music, of course as a dancer, so I love going to festivals, [like] Lightning in a Bottle. I love going to Burning Man every year where I get to just dive into so many different worlds. I replenish myself in those containers where I can hear music and see really great things.”
On The Benefits of Sakara: “Sakara has redefined my relationship with food and has empowered me to see that what we choose to fuel ourselves with impacts us on every level—physically, emotionally, spiritually.”
Listen to Fatima's Sakara Story here:
