Kiné Camara is a dance artist and educator based in Seattle, WA, who often spends time abroad in Europe and South Africa, performing, exchanging and training.
She began her professional dance journey at 8 years old, with traditional Senegalese styles, and began teaching in 2005, under the direction of her father, Master Drummer and Dancer, Ibrahima Camara, of the National Ballet of Senegal. In 2019, she shifted gears to the world of Afro, training in a mix of styles including Shaku, Azonto, Ndombolo, Amapiano, and Afrohouse.
She loves bringing her passion for dance to the stage, and has performed with artists including Uncle Waffles, Asake, Tiwa Savage, Adekunle Gold, Sauti Sol, Archie, and Ibrahima & Safal. Whether it’s at a festival of 20,000 attendees, or a local show with a few hundred, she shines with a captivating joy that makes people smile. She has also hosted and danced at club events such as the “Tune4Tune” series at Neumos, Afrohouse: Mr. JazziQ edition at Q Nightclub, Amapiano is Here, and “Private Piano” in collaboration with KEXP DJ, Lace Cadence.
In 2023, she was a founding member of Afro dance performance team called, Element of Passion, aka ElementOP. She serves on the executive board, choreographs and dances with the team. With this team, she brought the first Afro dance set to Seattle’s Premiere Dance Showcase, SoulOut.
Kiné is a dedicated dance educator, with a mission to share about African dance holistically, always inspiring students to engage with African culture beyond the dance steps. In 2022, she launched Afro Dance Seattle, a hub for Afro dance education in the city. As the Program Director, she hosted 7 national and international dance educators for workshops and master classes, and also mentored Seattle-based emerging instructors.
Apart of that mission, she is currently teaching Amapiano classes, and has taught with organizations like The University of Washington, the University of Florida, Cornish College of the Arts, Vashon Island Center for the Arts, The Overlake School, The Union Cultural Center, Whatcom Community College and Bellingham Repertory Dance. She has also taught classes in Vancouver, CA, Atlanta and Los Angeles.