Kathy came to the realization that dance would become a large part of her identity at the age of 8, when she would knock on the doors of her neighbors to invite them to watch her dance in her family’s small garage in Buffalo, NY. Throughout her adolescence she primarily focused on training as a jazz dancer. She then auditioned for the theatre and dance program at State University of New York at Brockport and decided to expand her knowledge as an actress and dancer. While in university, her interest for non-western styles of dance emerged, and she began to dance with “Sankofa African Dance and Drum Ensemble.”

She graduated with a B.S. in theatre and dance.
Upon graduation, Kathy accepted an internship at Studio Arena Theatre in Buffalo, NY and was offered an equity role in the play “A Christmas Carol.” She began working as an actress and dancer in a variety of theaters along the east coast of America. Eventually, she moved to NYC and decided to begin a devoted journey studying West African dance. While in NYC, her primary teachers were Mouminatou Camara, Youssouf Koumbassa, Marie Basse-Wiles, Maguette Camara, and Lamine Thiam. Her passion for West African dance grew past learning in the NY environment, so she traveled to Senegal and Guinea West Africa, to experience African culture in its truest form. When she returned to NYC, she auditioned for and became a member of the multi-ethnic women’s dance and drum company called “Fore Fote”, lead by Mouminatou Camara of Les Ballets Africains. One year later she became a member of the dance and drum company “Magbana Drum and Dance NYC”, which was lead by Michael and Andrea Markus.