Kany (dancer)
Kany | |
|---|---|
 Kany in 2026 | |
| Born | Kany Diabaté August 16, 1986 Paris, France |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Agent | BPM Entertainment (2024–2025) |
| Spouse |
Ahn Dokuk (m. 2022) |
Kany Diabaté Ahn (nee Diabaté, born August 16,[1] 1986), known mononymously as Kany (Korean: 카니), is a French and Senegalese dancer, choreographer, and entertainer based in South Korea. After a career in Los Angeles performing for acts such as Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Pharrell Williams, and Ariana Grande, she moved to South Korea in 2022 with her husband and began choreographing for K-pop acts such as Key, Viviz, and Badvillain. She was a master for the Mnet series Boys II Planet in 2025.
Early life
[edit]Kany Diabaté was born on August 16, 1986, in Paris, France.[2] Both of her parents are Senegalese, and her family had a career in the arts, so she began dancing at the age of five.[3]
Career
[edit]In 2015, she moved to Los Angeles to audition as a backing dancer for singer Beyoncé but was unsuccessful. She auditioned again in 2019 and was selected as a choreographer within two days, collaborating with Beyoncé on the choreography for "My Power" from the soundtrack album The Lion King: The Gift.[4] She later performed as a dancer with musicians Pharrell Williams and Ariana Grande.[5]
She first visited South Korea in 2018, prior to meeting her husband, and became enamored with the country, later moving there with her husband in 2022. Her first choreography in South Korea was for singer Key's song "Gasoline." At the suggestion of an acquaintance in charge of Shinee's choreography, she began doing K-pop choreography, later creating work for Jisoo's "Earthquake," Viviz's "Maniac," and Badvillain's "Badvillain."[6] In January 2024, Kany signed an exclusive contract with BPM Entertainment to serve as a performance director, with the company stating that her bold style would help them explore new creative areas.[7]
On June 5, 2025, it was announced that Kany would join the master lineup for the Mnet reality competition Boys II Planet as a Dance Master for the Planet K division.[8][9] She and fellow entertainer Jonathan Yiombi participated in the Korea-Africa Foundation's 2025 Korea-Africa Youth Forum in September 2025.[10] In November 2025, she went viral for making Korean adjectives such as maekkeunmaekkeunhada (매끈매끈하다; smooth) and ultungbultunghada (울퉁불퉁하다; rough) into a song and dancing along to it.[11] In December 2025, BPM Entertainment announced that it had mutually terminated its exclusive contract with Kany.[12][13]
On March 25, 2026, she interviewed BTS's J-Hope as part of her Gwang series and in connection with BTS's comeback.[14][15] She was the choreographer for "Dai Dai", the official song from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[16]
Artistry
[edit]Kany is inspired by African dance and music and has also explored hip hop and funk.[17] Her role model is Michael Jackson.[3]
Endorsements
[edit]In April 2025, healthcare robotics company BodyFland launched the Health Life National Gymnastics campaign with Kany to promote national health, with Kany demonstrating movements to showcase the robot's dynamic capabilities.[18][19]
Personal life
[edit]Kany married Ahn Dokuk, a South Korean resident of the United States and former rock band member, in 2022, settling down in Ahn's hometown in South Korea. After the move, Ahn began working as a fruit wholesaler at Garak Market.[20] She is close friends with Shinee member Key, appearing together multiple times on the television program I Live Alone, on which Key was a cast member until 2025.[21][22] She is fluent in French, English, and Korean.[2]
Filmography
[edit]Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Boys II Planet | Dance Master | Planet K division |
Awards
[edit]| Year | Awards | Category | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Korea First Brand Awards | Female Web Variety Program MC | [23] |
References
[edit]- ↑ @thisiskany; (2026-08-16). "🎀 HAPPY KANY'S DAY 🎀" – via Instagram.
- 1 2 Oh, Sung-yoon (January 5, 2026). "카니가 말하는 자신의 성격과 안무가로서의 커리어". Esquire (in Korean).
- 1 2 "긍정 에너지 중심에 선 카니 그리고 어프어프". Musinsa. 2026-04-28.
- ↑ Ha, Ji‑won. "성덕 된 카니 "비욘세 만나려고 LA로 이사, 계약서 쓰며 겉으론 침착" (정희)". Newsen (in Korean).
- ↑ "세네갈계 유명 댄서 카니 "하고 싶은 것 그냥 해보세요"". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). September 13, 2025.
- ↑ "佛 댄서 카니 "제 DNA에 '하이 에너지', 열정 숨기지 마세요"". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). August 25, 2025.
- ↑ Ji, Seung-hun (January 26, 2024). "'비욘세 안무가' 카니, 빅플래닛메이드와 국내 활동 전속계약 체결 [공식]". Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean).
- ↑ Park, So‑young (June 16, 2025). "'보이즈 2 플래닛' 왜 중국인가?". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean).
- ↑ Ji, Seung-hun (July 16, 2025). ""중화권도 매력 있어" 글로벌 그룹의 시작…'보이즈2플래닛' 출사표 [MK현장]". Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean).
- ↑ "'카니, 조나단과 토크쇼'…12∼13일 한·아프리카 청년포럼". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). September 10, 2025.
- ↑ Lee, Su-jin (2025-11-12). ""매끈매끈하다, 울퉁불퉁한"… 카니가 만든 제2의 '수능 금지곡' [줌인]". Ilgan Sports.
- ↑ Kim, Mi-ji (December 15, 2025). "'요즘 대세' 카니, 빅플래닛과 계약 조기종료…"심도 있는 논의" [공식]". Maeil Business Newspaper.
- ↑ Kim, Soo-young (December 15, 2025). "[단독] 스타 안무가 카니, 빅플래닛메이드 떠났다…계약 종료". The Korea Economic Daily (in Korean).
- ↑ Kim, Gam-mi (March 26, 2026). "BTS 제이홉, 바닥까지 눕는 몸개그에…"방탄소년단도 이렇게 열심히 사는데" 폭소". Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean).
- ↑ "제이홉 "BTS 꿈의 무대? 美 슈퍼볼 하프타임쇼"". Newsis (in Korean). March 26, 2026.
- ↑ Heo, Na-won (2026-06-15). ""매끈매끈하다" 카니, 샤키라 월드컵 주제가 안무가였다…'본업 천재' 근황". SpoTV News.
- ↑ "Kany Diabaté". The Luckman. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
- ↑ Park, Yong-seon (April 1, 2026). "바디프랜드, 안무가 카니와 '건강수명 국민체조' 캠페인 개시". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean).
- ↑ "카니가 참여한 국민체조…바디프랜드, 신규캠페인 개시". Newsis (in Korean). April 1, 2026.
- ↑ "<나혼산> 키의 외국인 친구 카니는 누구?". Cosmopolitan Korea (in Korean). January 22, 2024.
- ↑ Park, So‑young (January 12, 2024). "샤이니 키, K-며느리'카니랑 턱 빠지겠네..막장드라마 뭐 봤길래? (나혼산)". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean).
- ↑ Park, Ha‑na (December 13, 2025). "샤이니 키, 카니 시어머니 만났다…김장 지원군 출동". News1 (in Korean).
- ↑ Byeon, Seong-hyeon (2026-01-06). "[포토] 카니, '2026 대한민국 퍼스트브랜드 대상' 웹예능MC 여자 부문 수상". Korea Economic Daily.