KAMARRI ABE

Kamarri Abe is an emerging dance artist. She is originally from the capital of California- Sacramento. In Sacramento, she attended Natomas Charter School Performing Fine Arts Academy (PFAA). This highly favored performing arts high school is where Ms. Abe continued to develop her dance and piano training. Prior to starting high school she trained in Musical Theatre, Jazz, Ballet, Tap, and Hip Hop. At PFAA her dance journey continued as she began to incorporate her academic knowledge into her artistic training.  Ms. Abe grew up with a strong passion to pursue higher education. At the young age of 16, Ms. Abe moved to Great Barrington, MA where she began to study modern dance technique at Bard College. In Great Barrington, MA, Ms. Abe was greatly influenced by social justice topics. These social justice issues inspired her dancing, but also fueled her need to be in a more racially diverse environment. She soon moved back to California where she began to attend Loyola Marymount University where she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Dance May 2021. At LMU, Ms. Abe continued her education and her dance training. She received further training in Ballet, Modern, and Jazz. While attending LMU Ms. Abe joined the LMU Spirit Squad where she learned about NBA dance teams. She performed at many games and events. Through LMU’s dance program, Ms. Abe had the privilege to work with Maria Gillespie, Sarah Elgart, Laura Smyth, Barack Marshall and Lillian Barbeito. Her experience pursuing a higher education at a young age has advanced her passion to help other young Black women pursue dance education. Ms. Abe hopes to open her own dance studio focused on the goal of normalizing Black women as leaders in dance education. Ms. Abe is currently a member of Sacramento Contemporary Dance Theatre (SCDT). At SCDT, Ms. Abe is able to grow as a young artist as she discovers her ability to create meaningful repertoire for her community.