About Kehinde
Kehinde Ishangi is a dance artist, educator, scholar, and somatic practitioner. She is an Associate Professor at Florida State University and holds certifications in Franklin Method® (Level 3), GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM™, STOTT PILATES™, CoreAlign®, and Zena Rommett Floor-Barre®. Ishangi serves Vice-President of the Board of Directors of the International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association (ISMETA) and is a Registered Somatic Movement Educator and Registered Somatic Dance Educator. In addition, Ishangi is the Founder and Director of The Ishangi Institute, created to further her research and application of movement science and somatic practices. Her pedagogical approach integrates functional anatomy and somatic techniques within dance studio practices. Her philosophy is expressed in the 2021 anthology (Re:)Claiming Ballet.
Ishangi has been an international dance soloist. Within The United States, she has performed with Ballethnic Dance Company, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, and KM Dance Project. While residing in Paris, France, Ishangi was a performing artist with Compagnie James Carlès and Compagnie Georges Momboye. She has danced the repertoire of Martha Graham, Alwin Nikolais, Ronald K. Brown, Donald McKayle, Jawole Zollar, Milton Myers, Iréne Tassembédo, David Roussève, and Katherine Dunham. Ishangi performed Boschimanne: living curiosities with KM Dance Project at the 2019 National Performance Network conference and Ancestors at the 2020 Festival International de Danse de Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, West Africa.
Ishangi has taught at international dance conservatories and universities, including a Visiting Professorship at Tulane University, USA. In addition to these appointments, she served for three years on the faculty of L’Académie Américaine de Danse de Paris in France. Furthermore, Ishangi has used her training as a Movement Scientist during the collaboration of Les éscailles de la mémoire performed by Jawole Zollar’s Urban Bush Women from the United States and Germaine Acogny’s Jant-Bi of Senegal, West Africa.
Her leadership and community service is informed and supported by her work with The Urban Bush Women’s, Summer Leadership Institute. As a faculty member, she is able to offer her creativity and expertise to those whose lives are focused on service to humanity.
