In 1979, while Abdullah was music director of her dance company, "Life's Force" was choreographed by Dianne McIntyre, and the work was premiered at the Carver Center in San Antonio, Texas. McIntyre described it as "a dance music collaboration" in which "dancers become part of the band." She commented: "Ahmed Abdullah... developed the dance together along with the people in the company. For him 'Life's Force' celebrates the energy that takes people to higher consciousness. It's the inner spirit. There is a rhythmical source that keeps on throughout the whole piece. The pulse is still going even when the piece finishes." Following a performance of the work in New York City, Jennifer Dunning of The New York Times stated that it "stole the show," calling the music "vibrant" and "hard-pushing," and the choreography "full of invention."
