ABOUT US

Who we are

Whacking Los Angeles (WLA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that honors the legacy of Punking and Whacking/Waacking through dance education, cultural events, and brave spaces that empower individuality and collective liberation.

Founded in 2022 by a grassroots collective of queer-identifying artists and cultural workers, WLA emerged from a shared recognition of the need for a dedicated home for this work. These artists came together to intentionally build a space where individuals could gather, train, create, and be in community. Situated on Tongva land, WLA has since grown into A landing place for queer and multicultural Los Angeles artists, stewarding accessible and equitable dance spaces that center artistic expression.

Our Mission

Whacking Los Angeles (WLA) is an organization providing dance education, events, and brave spaces to honor and grow the legacy of Punking and Whacking. WLA empowers individuality and collective liberation of queer, multicultural Los Angelenos of all bodies and walks of life.

Our Vision

Whacking Los Angeles envisions a world where the legacy of Punking and Whacking is honored and sustained, queer joy is celebrated, and multicultural communities thrive through accessible, inclusive, and liberatory dance spaces.

Partners

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Meet Our Team

Whacking Los Angeles is a volunteer-run collective of artists, educators, organizers, and community members.

Leadership team

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Victoria Villamil, “Tori Cristi” is a queer Salvadoran Filipina artist, educator and organizer. Tori focuses on the intersections between culture, psychology and integrative healing. Tori’s work creates space to explore an anti-capitalist, healing-centered approach to art. In addition to specializing in Punking & Whacking, she has trained in multiple disciplines such as jazz, contemporary along with street and club forms of dance. She has worked with artists such as Katseye & Mark De Clive along organizations such as Red Bull Dance, The Music Center LA and DTLA Proud. Tori continues to create purpose driven art and empower individuals to nurture their authenticity.

CO-FOUNDER & Artistic Director

Victoria Villamil (she/They)

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Kevin Casasola "Ksoul" is a passionate punker and whacker, dedicated to cultivating environments for all to embody their authentic selves. Ksoul holds sacred the transformative power of punking/whacking towards liberation and play. Co-founder of Whacking Los Angeles, Ksoul continues to discover how dance creates genuine and meaningful connections.

CO-FOUNDER & Head of Programs

Kevin Casasola (he/They)

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Roxi Smith is an LA-based, Virginia-bred queer artist and organizer. In addition to specializing in Punking and Whacking, Roxi has trained in multiple disciplines including Popping, jazz, contemporary, ballet, and Hustle. Roxi has showcased her 1st-prize winning work “Track 10” at the Synesthesia Dance Competition in Washington D.C., and was the 2024 SEED Resident artist, performing her piece "The Roach". Roxi aims to create big productions no matter the cast size or budget, and to always transcend the mundane. Her art focuses mainly on womanhood, tech, and the art of being a clown.

CO-FOUNDER & finance Director

Roxanne Smith (she/her)

Artist Collective

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Em Smith (They/them)

Outreach & Fundraising Support

Em (they/them) is a transgender dyke, an artist, friend, and lover of the human experience. em is a member of Whacking Los Angeles and has been Whacking for 3 years now. They value being in community with other queers and are currently exploring their artistic expression through dance, drawing, and printmaking. Their goal is to use various artistic mediums to share messages of love and liberation in solidarity with oppressed peoples all over the world.

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MILAGRITOS Godina (she/her)

Graphic Design & marketing support

Milagritos “Floetic” Godina is a versatile Latina street dance artist from East LA and has been dancing professionally for four years. She joined the Versa-Style Street Dance Company youth program, Versa-Style Next Generation in 2016 and is a principal dancer of Versa-Style’s professional B Company, Versa-Style Legacy. She emphasizes healing, self-empowerment, and self-expression, teaching the history and movement of street dance to help students connect deeply with their art.

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TITAN NGO (he/they)

Event Operations Assistant

Now based in Los Angeles, Titan (he/him/they) is a queer Asian American artist rooted in consistency, expression, and creativity in movement. Titan performed for the queer community, dancing at Drag shows and charity events. Titan is heavily involved in the street, club, and Whacking community. Titan has built up community by hosting and producing events (A W*ack on Titan Whacking Session, Homegrown Block Party), placed at several street battles, and performed with Whacking Los Angeles. He continues to enhance his training in various styles of dance. He hopes to help share the joyful resistance, self-discovery, and connection that dance helps him find every day.

Frequently asked questions

How can I get Involved in WLA?

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Get involved with Whacking Los Angeles and find your place in our community. Whether you’re looking to deepen your practice, build community, support our events, or contribute your time and skills, there are many ways to participate. Join us at an upcoming program, volunteer at an event, or reach out to learn how you can get involved.

hello@whackingla.org

How can I perform/showcase at a WLA EVent?

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Interested in performing or sharing your work with the WLA community? We’re always excited to connect with artists and dancers interested in being part of our events. For performance and showcase opportunities, please reach out to roxis@whackingla.org.

How can I teach for WLA?

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Interested in teaching with Whacking Los Angeles? We’d love to hear from you. Please fill out our Teaching Interest Form to share your information and teaching interests.

While we’re not always able to offer a calendar slot due to our limited programming capacity, we’re happy to connect you with Los Angeles resources and opportunities that can help support you in creating and facilitating a successful workshop.