Kehinde Ishangi

Kehinde Ishangi, MFA, is a tenured Associate Professor of Dance at Florida State University School of Dance, specializing in Studio Practices, Dance Science, and somatic education. An international dance artist, scholar, filmmaker, and movement educator; her work bridges embodied inquiry, functional anatomy, and culturally rooted movement practices within contemporary dance training and performance.

Ishangi has performed nationally and internationally with acclaimed companies including Ballethnic Dance Company, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Compagnie James Carlès, and Compagnie Georges Momboye. Her performance and creative research have brought her to stages and festivals throughout North and South America, Europe, West Africa, and the Caribbean. She has worked alongside influential artists and visionaries, including Ronald K. Brown, Donald McKayle, Milton Myers, Eleo Pomare, Irène Tassembédo, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, and the artistic lineage of Katherine Dunham through continued embodied research and practice.

Her scholarship investigates intersections of somatic practice, biomechanics, dance pedagogy, and African diasporic movement aesthetics. Ishangi is a Registered Master Somatic Movement Educator and Registered Somatic Dance Educator through the International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association and holds certifications in Franklin Method®, the GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM®, STOTT PILATES®, CoreAlign®, and Zena Rommett Floor-Barre®. Her pedagogical approach integrates movement science with embodied artistry, emphasizing sustainability, cultural integrity, wellness, and the development of the whole artist.

At Florida State University, Ishangi serves as Program Leader for International Programs’ Dance in Paris, an immersive month-long study abroad experience that guides students through embodied and cultural inquiry within the artistic landscape of Paris, France. Through studio practice, performance attendance, historical exploration, and engagement with international artists, the program cultivates global perspectives and interdisciplinary approaches to dance.

Ishangi also serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors for the International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association, where she chairs both the Somatic Arts & Education Committee and the Audit & Finance Committee. Her leadership work supports international initiatives advancing somatic movement education, research, accessibility, and equitable pedagogical practices within the arts.

She is the founder of The Ishangi Institute, a movement-based research and educational initiative supporting the health, longevity, and holistic development of dancers and movers. Her scholarship and creative research include the award-winning, internationally screened documentary Not My Enemy and a contributing chapter in the anthology (Re:)Claiming Ballet.