Courtney Hollinquest wears many hats.
Known better to the Los Angeles dance scene and her dedicated fanbase as Cquestt, the DJ, dancer, producer knows all the right ways to curate a vibe for any kind of event. The Los Angeles native got her creative jump as a backup dancer and spent the early days of her career touring the world. With the insight of these international dance floors, Cquestt learned what she wants her parties to feel and sound like. Then, she brought this energy back home to LA. Her travel-earned wisdom is reflected in her diverse taste. She’s equipped to woo the Clippers’ crowds with dancehall takes of Sabrina Carpenter tracks, then just as quickly mix Chief Keef cuts with harsh electronica for Apple Music Radio sets.
This recurring Apple Music gig, Baile World, has taken form as a monthly party in Los Angeles. Cquestt hosts and curates each installation with care, whether it's their 3-year anniversary party with sets by Zack Fox, a Halloween bash or the PAPER ESPAÑOL launch party.
The most tapped in Angelenos pop out for whatever Cquestt has in store.
She likewise hosts Fried Plantains, an event that collaborates with Baile World to “connect the diaspora through music and plantains.” Here, setlists are stacked with both up and comers and veterans alike, who take the stage at secret venues downtown until the sun rises.
Cquestt is always on some exciting side quest. She made an appearance DJing in Ryan Murphy’s All’s Fair, produced on Story27’s series, Forever, and linked up with Amaarae for club nights in Hollywood on days when she isn’t helming her own dance floors. Below, Cquestt sat down with PAPER to discuss Baile World, being a multimedium artist and the PAPER Español launch party.
You started as a dancer traveling the world. How does that experience influence the music you play as a DJ today?
Growing up as a dancer, I always had a love for music. And being from LA, hip hop was my foundation. But as I began to travel and experience the world, I got to hear music I didn’t even know existed! My mind was cracked open, music was poured in and a whole new journey for myself was created. And every time I would come back from my travels, all I wanted to do was share the new sounds and cultures I learned of, which ultimately led to me learning how to DJ!
You've built Baile World into a pillar of the Los Angeles dance community, and brought it all across the globe as well. Tell me about the seeds of Baile World and what inspired you to build it?
Baile World was created out of a place of lack! As a black, Mexican, Puerto Rican queer femme — there weren’t many spaces that felt safe to be in and nothing really felt truly representative of me. I wanted to go to a party where I could listen to reggaeton, dancehall, dembow, baile funk, jersey club and more, and the options that were available were catered to cishet men who didn’t platform women or queer folks. So instead of continuing to unsuccessfully find it, I created it! And within its creation, I found a community who’s been looking for the same things as me and it’s been beautiful to watch.
As a dancer, DJ, organizer and a producer of a Netflix show, you wear many hats. How do you balance your creative endeavors? Do they feed into one another?
Honestly, it was hard to find balance for a long time. Everything at first felt so foreign to each other, from the programs & systems I used in each job down to the hours (9am to 5pm versus 9pm-5am). So I had to really practice finding the things that made them similar to having them working in step with each other, and at the center of each was culture! From working in FOREVER to curating BAILE WORLD, the mission of both of these entities was pushing the culture forward in different mediums and the important work that goes behind it, so I had to make it a priority to find the flow state between them all.
And the people I’ve worked with kept me inspired! To be able to execute ideas and projects alongside the world’s top executives and creatives in tv, film, dance and music is a privilege that I never take for granted. All of the things I’ve learned feed into everything I’m doing, giving me a unique skill set that helps build worlds and prioritize storytelling in any venture of mine to the highest level.
What's the biggest challenge of navigating a career in nightlife and DJing? What keeps you pushing forward?
For me, the biggest challenge has been fighting imposter syndrome. The DJ world is massive and there’s so many talented people. How will I set myself apart? Sometimes it’s not enough to be great. But over the years I had to understand what my purpose and mission with music would be…
My ultimate goal will never be fame, but to create amazing experiences and build community through music. All of the amazing things along the way that help bring that energy to a larger scale will always be welcomed, but that won’t be the source of my passion. And after realizing that, a lot of my initial fears started to melt away, and I could really start focusing on the work I wanted to do.
You played at PAPER's Español launch party. Tell me about that experience and what it meant for you?
What an honor it was to be a part of that special night! Seeing PAPER expand into the Latino community in this way is so incredibly powerful. We embody so much culture of the world and for PAPER to recognize that, and honor the community with its own publication is very powerful.
Baile World was able to curate the music for the night and I really wanted to highlight people in LA that inspire me as well as prioritize building up the Latino communities! We were able to bring Que Madre from I Love Micheladas, Henry Rza from Ambiente Central, and Gio Sandz from Tengo Funk. Their work as artists and leaders inspires me always and it was an honor to share PAPER’s special night with them!
Andie Kirby is PAPER's 2025 Music Editorial Intern
Photography by Emma Knowles
