‘Gbari strong’: How a dancer’s recovery became a community movement
- Katherine Quezada
- Apr 17
- 6 min read
When news broke that Gbari Gilliam was rushed to the hospital following a recent medical emergency, a wave of shock traveled through the street dance community.
But it didn’t take long before that shock turned into action.
A GoFundMe surged with donations, and when Gilliam’s family shared he was in need of a heart transplant, a series of dance class fundraisers throughout northern and southern California dance studios and organizations began to spread, showing the lasting impact he’s had on dancers and people throughout his life.
Gilliam is now recovering after undergoing a successful heart transplant and the dance community is continuing their efforts in reaching the GoFundMe’s $500,000 goal to support his medical expenses, recovery, and livelihood. Funds are also aimed to support his partner Shantel Ureña, who plans to be his primary caretaker.
On Wednesday, in a studio local to Elysian Valley’s Frogtown, nonprofit organization Whacking Los Angeles prepared to hold a class in support of those efforts.
“Gbari is just someone who was in really great health, just always doing everything with such ease, and such grace. For this to have happened to him, it just came very left field for myself and for all of us,” said Victoria Villamil, cofounder of Whacking L.A. “I was just very shocked. I was very concerned.”
Villamil met Gilliam when she was a student in Versa-Style Street Dance Company’s youth program. There, Villamil developed her passion for Whacking, a street dance style that originated in the L.A. underground gay clubs during the 1970s.
Gilliam himself is well known within the whacking community and is seen by many as a leader of the dance style.
“He’s explosive. He shines, he has this style to him, everything he does [is] just very infectious and it’s very memorable,” Villamil said. “No matter who you are, he always greets you with such warmth and kindness. You just feel very welcome to interact with him.”
She added that the dance community quickly coming together, in response to someone in need, is something she had never seen.
Prior to the arrival of attendees, Villamil prepared her material alongside Anthony Berry. Berry is a professional dancer, teaching artist and street dance practitioner.
Berry met Gilliam around 2017, through a common friend and dance colleague Ernesto Galarza at a summer dance intensive held at University of California, Los Angeles. Gilliam, Berry and Galarza eventually became principal dancers for Versa-Style Street Dance Company.
For Berry, seeing people come together from the Bay area to L.A. in support of Gilliam was a testament to the relationships he has cultivated throughout the street dance scene and industry.
Gilliam has credits working with musical artist and recent Superbowl headliner Bad Bunny, shoe brand Adidas, and R&B singer and songwriter MariahTheScientist, according to his Instagram biography.
For Roxi Smith, cofounder of Whacking L.A., Gilliam’s impact came when she was first exposed to the dance style. Gilliam substituted one of Villamil’s scheduled classes that Smith attended. “I just remember him saying ‘Wow Roxi, you’ve really improved a lot’ and just acknowledging who I am,” Smith said. “I think at that moment I was like ‘Gbari is clearly someone who looks out for his community at all times.’”
When Villamil, Berry, and Smith learned about the success of the heart transplant surgery, they all expressed relief. According to an update on the GoFundMe post, the surgeon said it “couldn’t have gone better.”
“It gave me a lot of hope,” Smith said, when she heard about the news. “I wanted to jump for joy because it happened, it succeeded.”
Villamil echoed that sentiment.
“It truly goes to show that one person can have such a large impact that maybe that person doesn't even understand,” Villamil said. “It truly is a miracle.”
But the surgery is only the first step in his recovery, and Gilliam’s friends are continuing to rally together to raise funds in support of his healing.
Proceeds to support Gilliam were also set up two days later at Mihran K. Studios in Burbank during Versa-Style’s weekly Friday night House class. The space became more than just a place to train, it transformed into a gathering to uplift one of their own.
With low lighting that gave the room a nightclub ambiance and music played by DJ Juliet Mendoza, the class carried an energy that felt both intentional and celebratory.
“Today we just really wanted to celebrate his recovery,” said Jackie Lopez, cofounder of Versa-Style. “Life and death is truly a scary thing to face. Without him, I think there would be a gap. So I'm just glad he's here and he's fighting. He's us and we're him.”
When Lopez and Versa-Style cofounder Leigh Foaad learned about Gilliam, they didn’t hesitate to join the effort. Gilliam is a former student, turned colleague.
Both Lopez and Foaad met him at a UCLA summer intensive, a program meant for youth seeking higher education. Lopez said she quickly noted his versatility.
The class was packed with dancers, moving to the rhythms of House music while practicing foundations across the floor.
Versa-Style company members took turns selecting the next move, some of them in dedication to Gilliam. The class, which was livestreamed on the organization’s main Instagram, had a surprise visit in the midst of dancers moving across the floor.
Gilliam, who is in the midst of recovery post surgery, tuned into the live show to witness the community support that has rallied since his operation.
Gilliam’s talent was something that stood out to Foaad, and he knew that Gilliam had the potential to surpass the collegiate dance level.
Foaad recalled a moment where he encouraged Gilliam to strive for bigger opportunities.“Lo and behold 10, 15 years later, he’s a star,” Foaad said. “He's done music videos. He's been in movies. He's done what every dancer dreams of.”
“I was so impressed by that, especially as a young Black man,” Lopez said. “He was like 16 or 17 years old. He’s 32 now, so to know that we've known him for half his life is pretty amazing.”
Before the class ended and dancers broke into cyphers, those present came together one last time, chanting “Gbari strong,” a phrase that has since grown into a movement, echoing beyond the dance floor as the community continued to rally behind him.
“Our deepest roots and seeds come in community,” Lopez said. “We truly use dance as a way to heal, as a way to unite, as a way to inspire, encourage, empower, and because of that, we've met some incredible people in our lives and our careers.”
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