Born in Lebanon in 1998, Paris-based Yousra Mohsen is the first dancer from the Middle East to join Le Crazy Horse de Paris in 2018 under the moniker Laïla Liberty.
The 24-year-old performer had to navigate cultures and break free from a patriarchal society in order to emerge as the unapologetically fierce and feminine force she is today. Her journey to making a living through dancing required her to walk the tightrope of the conservative society she grew up in.
Mohsen fights for social freedom and women’s rights on stage, where she may breach societal taboos without repercussions and perform mesmerizing choreographies that are rooted in emancipation.
She had extensive training in classical, modern, jazz, and folk dance after graduating from L’Académie Internationale de Danse in Beirut. From 2016 to 2018, she traveled the world with Lebanon’s Caracalla Dance Theatre, where she fell in love with the idea of traveling via art.
She ultimately landed in Paris to follow her dreams of becoming a performing artist. She is also a choreographer and works as a model with Next Model Management.
She serves as an inspiration for female empowerment to young dancers all throughout the Arab world, and her work is a testament to women’s liberation.
Through her work, Mohsen is changing the discourse in her own country about dance and encouraging women there and around the Middle East to be free in their femininity. By spending a portion of her time instructing dance courses, Mohsen makes a unique contribution to transforming Lebanese society.
Her first musical performance, The Liberty Show, which was influenced by Parisian cabaret, had its premiere in Dubai in 2021 thanks to a partnership with pianist and producer Guy Manoukian. They went on to produce The Liberty Show Volume II in 2022.
Yousra Mohsen has had an eventful four years as she has danced her way around the globe, from Paris to Lebanon, challenging cultural conventions and going outside of the box of everyday life to explore a lesser-known aspect of herself. Mohsen is removing a veil that has been thrown over society and the way that women portray their bodies via her work. She is demonstrating to the world what it is to live your own truth and go ahead with confidence.
Source: Cosmo Politian
