Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in Arabic Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.I was born in Philadelphia, but my family relocated to Atlanta when I was in middle school. The move from north to south came as a real culture shock, from the music people listened to, to the way the kids wore their clothes. I hated it at first. And it was so hot! But very quickly I became a fan. Plus, my last name, Bankhead, is a really popular neighbourhood here, so it feels as if it was meant to be. The dance bug bit me when I started watching music videos for songs by artists including Michael Jackson, Missy Elliott and Aaliyah, some of which were filmed in the city. Atlanta is known as “Black Hollywood”. There’s a huge market for the entertainment industry here, but unlike LA, where a lot of dancers go to “make it”, there aren’t a million other fish in the sea. If you have talent and even just an ounce of drive, you can succeed hereI learnt to dance at a couple of places: one is Dance 411 Studios, where I got my start as a choreographer. The other is the club. When we were around 18 or 19, my friends and I created a dance crew called Raw Tac-tics. We’d go out and battle other crews, as if right out of a You Got Served movie. I met people like JaQuel Knight, who now works with Beyoncé, and Jasmine Badie, who is currently doing a lot with Sabrina Carpenter. We all grew up grinding.I’ll never forget the ballroom scene at Traxx Atlanta, or the Monday-night drag shows at Chaparral. I was amazed. People were just out there living their lives and following their dreams. Both are now closed, but if anyone ever wants to go to MJQ Concourse, an underground dance club in the Virginia-Highland district, I’m so down. They run a lot of Boiler Room sets – Jash Jay and DJ Hourglass have both played there – and have two rooms, hip-hop and house. You’ll likely find me somewhere sweating. Don’t underestimate the food at the strip club. We’re in the South so everything is seasoned well and fried hard. As a true Atlanta boy, I love wings: 10-piece, mild, crispy, with lemon-pepper sprinkles. Magic City serves some of the best, but they have everything from lamb chops to lobster tail and fully loaded baked potatoes; they’re even on Uber Eats. I’ve also recently been going to APT 4B in Buckhead, which cooks up authentic Caribbean food, and to Nobu when I’m feeling bougie. But there’s plenty of hole-in-the-wall, mom-and-pop places too: No 246 downtown and Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall, which is great for a fried chicken sandwich and slice of key lime pie. Shopping is definitely a sport. It’s slim pickings for guys here, but I’ve been going to Phipps Plaza and Wish Atlanta in Little Five Points since high school. They both have a great sneaker offering. ANT/DOTE is more upscale – think Balenciaga and Rick Owens. Recently all of my jewellery was stolen, so I started over with a new ring by Parts of Four. I also bought a pair of blue tinted Port Tanger glasses. I know whenever I go in, I’ll find something really fly. One of the things that I love most about the city is the greenery. We’re surrounded by trees. I like to walk a lot – usually barefoot – in Piedmont Park, home to the city’s botanical gardens and a bunch of great nature trails. But when I need to escape, I’ll head to my parents’ place a little further north in Kennesaw. They have a lake by their house so it’s a perfect place to reset. If I could describe Atlanta in three words, it would be electric, entrepreneurial and soulful. If you have talent and even just an ounce of drive, you can succeed here. After high school I followed the dance flock to Hollywood, but I came back and I’m so glad I did. I think I’ve shown that there is work in Atlanta for the dance community and for choreographers. In the past couple of years we’ve lost a lot of great studios due to setbacks from Covid-19. I would love to help build a new facility one day: a home, a place to go for fellowship, to laugh and create.
