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True to her name, Brooklyn-native, Karisma Jay is the epitome of Multi-Hyphenate. Dancer, Actress, Singer, Director, Playwright, Choreographer, Wellness Coach, Teacher, Entrepreneur and Host, she has performed/toured with prestigious dance companies and has been featured in programs aired on Netflix, Lifetime, BET, MTV, NBC, and VH1....Read more
True to her name, Brooklyn-native, Karisma Jay is the epitome of Multi-Hyphenate. Dancer, Actress, Singer, Director, Playwright, Choreographer, Wellness Coach, Teacher, Entrepreneur and Host, she has performed/toured with prestigious dance companies and has been featured in programs aired on Netflix, Lifetime, BET, MTV, NBC, and VH1. Teaching dance since the tender age of 11, she has honed her skills of working with children and adults to develop the confidence and charisma of even the shyest, youngest and/or oldest of students. She has performed/toured with prestigious dance companies such as Brooklyn Ballet, Deeply Rooted, Maimouna Keita, Creative Outlet, Asase Yaa, and Ronald K. Brown’s Evidence. In 2013, Karisma joined STOMP. In 2016, Family Circle magazine coined her a “Local Hero” and Lifetime TV featured her as a Female Entrepreneur to Watch. Most recently, she won the “Power Women in Business” for her work as the Executive Artistic Director and Founder of AbunDance Academy of the Arts.
Annually, she writes, directs, produces and co-stars in musicals that AbunDance Academy presents. She just recently graduated Summa Cum Laude with her MFA in Dance at Hunter College while also teaching Dance and Culture at Hunter as an Undergraduate Faculty Member. Currently, she is teaching West African Dance and Dances of the Diaspora at The Juilliard School and Ballet Tech as well as LaGuardia HS, to name a few. She worked on Broadway as a choreographic apprentice with the Broadway show, David Byrne’s American Utopia and she is a Dance Teacher Magazine’s 2021 Dance Teacher Award Recipient. In May 2023, she premiered CROWN, a short film she co-directed and co-wrote, which celebrates Black Beauty, Black Hair and Black Dance. With a mission to lead by example, she helps everyone who crosses paths with her to flourish AbunDantly.
Read lessClass Descriptions
As an Afro-Latina entrepreneurial artist and award-winning performer and professor, Ms Karisma noticed early on in her dance career that her hair texture, body shape and movement quality wasn’t like everyone else’s. In an effort to foster inclusivity, she began teaching students from different cultures with varying levels, body shapes and socio-economic backgrounds. The goal- to provide access to the fundamentals and benefits of a Western dance discipline while still honoring the passion, sacredness and spirit of West African Dance technique. Thus, Afro-Ballet was born. Pulling from Social Dance and staying true to Ballet form, Afro-Ballet combines Traditional and Contemporary Dance Styles and Structures of Both West-African Dance Technique and Ballet. Afro-Ballet is a fun, fitness-focused dance experience, open to all levels. With traditional and contemporary movements, this class is an energetic dance and full body experience with funky routines to keep students engaged and enriched.
As an Afro-Latina entrepreneurial artist and award-winning performer and professor, Ms Karisma noticed early on in her dance career that her hair texture, body shape and movement quality wasn’t like everyone else’s. In an effort to foster inclusivity, she began teaching students from different cultures with varying levels, body shapes and socio-economic backgrounds. The goal- to provide access to the rooted passion, sacredness and spirit of West African Dance techniques. Pulling from Social Dance and staying true to the essence of West African Dance technique, her Afro-Dance classes are a fun, fitness-focused dance experience, open to all levels. With traditional and contemporary movements, this class is an energetic dance and full body experience with funky routines to keep students engaged and enriched.