# Kany (dancer)
**Kany** (Kany Diabaté Ahn, 카니 디아바테 안) is a French-Senegalese dancer, choreographer, and performance director known for choreographing Beyoncé's "MY POWER" from the visual film *[Black Is King](https://www.edgepedia.org/black-is-king)* and for directing choreography for K-pop artists including SHINee's KEY, SHINee, VIVIZ, Jisoo, and Hwasa.[1](https://www.poptokki.com/celebrating-black-creatives-shaping-korean-entertainment/) • [2](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/korea/from-kpop-videos-to-trot-bulgarian-dancer-claudia-petzovas-unusual-dance-journey-in-korea/12530701) A September 2026 profile lists her hometown as Paris, France, dual French and Senegalese nationality, and an age of 39, and credits her with a win at the French Federation of Dance competition.[3](https://v.daum.net/v/20260929192301859)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Kany Diabaté Ahn; works professionally as KANY or Kany[1](https://www.poptokki.com/celebrating-black-creatives-shaping-korean-entertainment/) |
| Background | French-Senegalese; hometown Paris; dual French and Senegalese nationality[1](https://www.poptokki.com/celebrating-black-creatives-shaping-korean-entertainment/) • [3](https://v.daum.net/v/20260929192301859) |
| Signature international work | Choreography for Beyoncé's "MY POWER" in *Black Is King*; choreography direction for Michael Jackson's "A Place With No Name"[1](https://www.poptokki.com/celebrating-black-creatives-shaping-korean-entertainment/) • [4](https://www.mk.co.kr/en/musics/10930473) |
| First K-pop choreography | KEY's 2022 single "Gasoline"[1](https://www.poptokki.com/celebrating-black-creatives-shaping-korean-entertainment/) |
| Dance styles | Afro, dancehall, hip-hop, street jazz, heels, popping, waacking, and new jack[5](https://www.hankookilbo.com/news/article/A2024012614390005138) |
| Agency | Exclusive contract with Big Planet Made Entertainment, announced January 26, 2024[5](https://www.hankookilbo.com/news/article/A2024012614390005138) |
| Recent large-scale work | Overall choreography for "Dai Dai", the official anthem of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, sung by Shakira and Burna Boy[6](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20260908_0003780779) |
## Background and early career
Kany began her career as a performer in Europe. In 2004 she co-founded the French dance company UNITY with the dancers Alexis Sadefo and Timothée Chaumont; the company describes itself as multidisciplinary, working across old- and new-school hip-hop, afro dance, jazz-rock, circus, martial arts, magic, and contemporary dance and theater, as well as beatbox, video, slam, and rap.[7](https://compagnieunity.fr/)
Her screen credits from this period include work as a dancer and choreographer on music videos and other productions. IMDb lists her as a dancer in *Just Dance 2020* (2019), [Macy Gray](https://www.edgepedia.org/macy-gray)'s videos "Stop, Drop, Roll" and "White Man" (both 2017), and Taemin's "Horizon" (2024), and as co-choreographer of [Kelly Rowland](https://www.edgepedia.org/kelly-rowland) featuring Trevor Jackson's "Dumb" (2016).[8](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11368472/)
## Beyoncé and international work
**Black Is King.** According to a Newsis interview report, Kany's move into full-time choreography came through Beyoncé: she appeared as a dancer in the *Black Is King* music video in the United States, and when afro dance was needed she created choreography and showed it to Beyoncé, which became the turning point in her becoming a choreographer.[6](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20260908_0003780779) She is credited with the choreography of "MY POWER" from that visual film.[1](https://www.poptokki.com/celebrating-black-creatives-shaping-korean-entertainment/)
Her other international credits include choreography direction for [Michael Jackson](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-jackson)'s "A Place With No Name" and participation in the MTV Music Awards EMA stage between Pharrell and [Ariana Grande](https://www.edgepedia.org/ariana-grande).[4](https://www.mk.co.kr/en/musics/10930473) Korean press reports also describe her participation in a Michael Jackson tribute show and in Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour.[6](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20260908_0003780779) In 2026 she oversaw the choreography of "Dai Dai", the official theme song of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup performed by Shakira and [Burna Boy](https://www.edgepedia.org/burna-boy).[6](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20260908_0003780779)
## K-pop choreography
Kany's first K-pop choreography was KEY's 2022 single "Gasoline".[1](https://www.poptokki.com/celebrating-black-creatives-shaping-korean-entertainment/) Korean reports list her subsequent K-pop work as including SHINee's "HARD", KEY's "Gasoline", "Good & Great", and "Intoxicating", and VIVIZ's "MANIAC" and "Untie".[5](https://www.hankookilbo.com/news/article/A2024012614390005138) She has also directed choreography for Blackpink's Jisoo and for Hwasa.[2](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/korea/from-kpop-videos-to-trot-bulgarian-dancer-claudia-petzovas-unusual-dance-journey-in-korea/12530701)
**VIVIZ's "MANIAC".** The song's point choreography became the basis of an SNS dance challenge whose popularity drove a reverse-run up the Korean music charts, and VIVIZ followed "MANIAC" with the B-side "Untie", also choreographed by Kany; she stated on X that "Untie" is one of her favorite choreographies she has made.[5](https://www.hankookilbo.com/news/article/A2024012614390005138) • [9](https://thekrazemag.com/latest-updates/2023/11/21/viviz-is-killin-it-in-versus) The main hip movement in "MANIAC" was humorously dubbed the "Pop your ondong" dance by VIVIZ themselves.[9](https://thekrazemag.com/latest-updates/2023/11/21/viviz-is-killin-it-in-versus)
In January 2024 she signed an exclusive contract with Big Planet Made Entertainment, which stated it would support her activities in Korea as a choreographer, dancer, and performance director.[5](https://www.hankookilbo.com/news/article/A2024012614390005138)
## Television and public presence
Kany has appeared on Korean television, including MBC's *I Live Alone*, where she featured alongside her close friend KEY, and Mnet's *Boys Planet* as a K Planet Master.[1](https://www.poptokki.com/celebrating-black-creatives-shaping-korean-entertainment/) • [3](https://v.daum.net/v/20260929192301859) She is also active as a YouTuber.[6](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20260908_0003780779) In January 2026 she won Dance Challenge of the Year at the CHOREO AWARDS for her "매끈매끈하다" challenge, which she credited to the community around her Korean-learning project 카니를찾아서 (Finding Kany).[10](https://imginn.com/p/DT6xv0sEquL/)
## Hanam City ambassador
On September 7, 2026, Hanam City in [Gyeonggi Province](https://www.edgepedia.org/gyeonggi-province) appointed Kany as a promotional ambassador for a two-year term running to September 2028, covering the city's major cultural and arts festivals, city-brand promotional productions, and activities to raise its profile as a global K-culture city.[11](https://www.sisamagazine.co.kr/article/529439) The connection came through her recent settlement in Wirye, Hanam, with her Korean husband, whom she met in the United States.[6](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20260908_0003780779) Later that month she hosted a [random play dance](https://www.edgepedia.org/random-play-dance) event for families at the 2026 Hanam Iseongsanseong Culture Festival at Misa Lake Park.[3](https://v.daum.net/v/20260929192301859)
## References
1. [Celebrating Black Creatives Shaping Korean Entertainment, Pop Tokki](https://www.poptokki.com/celebrating-black-creatives-shaping-korean-entertainment/)
2. [From K-pop videos to trot: Bulgarian dancer Claudia Petzova's unusual dance journey in Korea, The Korea JoongAng Daily](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/korea/from-kpop-videos-to-trot-bulgarian-dancer-claudia-petzovas-unusual-dance-journey-in-korea/12530701)
3. [인터뷰…공감: 하남시 홍보대사 안무가 카니, 경인일보 via Daum](https://v.daum.net/v/20260929192301859)
4. [World-renowned choreographer Kany will accompany Big Planet Made Entertainment, Maeil Business (MK)](https://www.mk.co.kr/en/musics/10930473)
5. ['비욘세 안무가' 카니, 빅플래닛메이드와 전속계약, Hankook Ilbo](https://www.hankookilbo.com/news/article/A2024012614390005138)
6. [비욘세 안무가 출신 카니, 하남시 알린다…홍보대사 위촉, Newsis](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20260908_0003780779)
7. [La Compagnie UNITY, official site](https://compagnieunity.fr/)
8. [Kany Diabate, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11368472/)
9. [VIVIZ is Killin' it in VERSUS, The Kraze Magazine](https://thekrazemag.com/latest-updates/2023/11/21/viviz-is-killin-it-in-versus)
10. [Kany Diabaté Ahn Instagram post on the CHOREO AWARDS, via Imginn](https://imginn.com/p/DT6xv0sEquL/)
11. [하남시, 비욘세·월드컵 안무가 '카니(Kany)' 홍보대사 위촉, Sisa Magazine](https://www.sisamagazine.co.kr/article/529439)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Theater and dance › Dance and ballet › Dance forms beyond ballet › Non-ballet choreographers and choreography*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license