Lafotographeuse (Amanda Adams-Louis) is a Brooklyn-based photographer, teaching artist, and cultural producer. Lafotographeuse’s work lives at the nexus of art, education, and archive. She creates images, education programs & events that move with the rhythm of culture. Lafotographeuse documents NYC’s dynamic dance, nightlife, and music scenes; leads/designs art & history education programs for New Yorkers of all ages. She holds a BFA in Photography, with minors Graphic Design & Art History from Pratt Institute; and is an alumna of the Whitney Independent Study Program & TASIS.

Her current exhibition, Shelltoe Systems: Litefeet Culture 2010–2025, is the first photography show to highlight the vibrant, Harlem-born and Uptown-cultivated street dance form known as Litefeet. Originating in the early 2000s, the term Litefeet was coined by street ball announcer, the Voice of Harlem; practiced as a social dance by a creative clique of young HBO (Harlem- Bronx only) cultural tastemakers and has since grown into a globally recognized street dance form. Shelltoe Systems situates Litefeet within the lineage of NYC’s Hip-Hop dance traditions, connecting it to Harlem youth culture and the social energy of Uptown’s recreational events.

An experienced teaching artist, curriculum writer and program designer, Lafotographeuse blends inquiry-based learning with creative practice to engage youth in meaningful exploration. She is a tour guide and history educator with the Village Preservation Society and is the founder and facilitator of Teen Collective, CUE Art Foundation’s flagship education program launched in 2017. She is a program coordinator at the New York City Arts in Education Roundtable where she administers the NY State Teaching Artist Mentorship Program .

In her co-op consulting practice, Kut The Rug Institute, Lafotographeuse produces interdisciplinary projects that celebrate street and club dance culture and advises artists, cultural/art workers and educators who are shifting between careers, changing industries and/or engaging new marketplaces.