Haninah Abdullah

I am native to the Bay Area (Oakland, CA) and began my acting career at age 5, having played a juror in a court play. Later I went on to become a member of the celebrated Wajumbe Dance Ensemble in high school and college where we performed throughout the Bay Area to packed audiences. From 2001 thru 2017, I was the key dance artist for Fogo Na Roupa, a Bay Area award-winning, Brazilian Carnavalesco lead by the late Carlos G. Aceituno (1961-2016). Today, I continue to provide advanced-level performance, as well as instruction and consultancy in Dance Presentation and Performance. While my opportunities in dance have continued to be abundant and impact the community, local theatre and film projects simultaneously emerged over time and I have continued to dot the landscape in these artistic endeavors. Most recently, I had a recurring role in, Living Arrangements, a locally-produced serial which aired for four years on Cable Public Access in San Francisco, CA. I was a recognizable extra in the indie film, The Californians, which also starred Cloris Leachman and Noah Wylie. Through collaborations with city leaders and activists, I am directing a dance wellness curriculum to be presented to safe houses that maintain persons affected by human trafficking. In June 2018, we had our first successful workshop with the clients and we are working on providing this service quarterly. We hope to some day expand to other local/national institutions. As I work on local projects to sustain and heal community, I am working towards stepping up my acting career and heading to full throttle because my real dream is to have a recurring role on Kenya Barris', black-ish!