Lula Washington Dance Theatre is a 501 c 3 tax exempt non-profit organization founded in 1980 by Lula and Erwin Washington to provide a creative outlet for minority dance artists in South Los Angeles through a community-based school of dance and dance center; a Youth Dance Ensemble; and a world class modern dance company that will perform works that uplift the human spirit. The educational goal is to create a community-based dance school in the inner city where local youth can learn the art of dance, launch careers in the dance field and use dance as a tool to help them build the skills needed to be successful in life.