Kyle Hanagami: Choreography and Connection

        Kyle Hanagami is a 38-year-old, professional choreographer whose unique style has had immense influence on the world of dance. Though initially studying as a psychology and economics major at UC Berkeley, there was no doubt he had a natural talent for rhythm and musicality when he joined the hip-hop team in a spur-of-the-moment decision—one that would change the trajectory of his life forever. 

 

        Now, Kyle has choreographed for some of the biggest names in the music industry (BLACKPINK, Britney Spears, Dove Cameron, and Shawn Mendes) and for hit movies (Mean Girls (2024), Red, White, and Royal Blue, and My Old Ass.). He brings his genius to the public, as well, teaching masterclasses at the well-known Millennium Dance Complex and Movement Lifestyle Studio in Los Angeles. More than that, Kyle goes above and beyond in increasing access to dance classes and choreography by embracing the power of social media, especially YouTube; Through his digital content, he is essentially creating a new industry for dance founded on inclusion and accessibility.

        Hanagami employs creativity for the purpose of creativity, revealing an intrinsic motivation that drives his creative process. Simply put, he just wants to make “cool sh*t” (Weatherby 2019). Dance in itself is one of the most expressive art forms, and Kyle’s choreography always reflects his individuality and unique talent. By recognizing his deepest fears and failures, Hanagami harnesses his vulnerabilities and lets them take the wheel in his creation. Kyle’s creative process also relies on collaboration as he and his right-hand, Haley Fitzgerald, have worked together for over ten years. With their individual expertise and innovation, the pair blend seamlessly to create powerful artistry overflowing with emotion and genius.

“I wanted to get to the future . . . and that’s when I realized that it was something I had to create.” 

– George Church (Isaacson 171)

 

“So often, we dream about achieving the things we can see right in front of us. But being okay with the fear of failure has allowed me to achieve things I couldn’t see.”

– Kyle Hanagami (2024 IDA Gala)

        Both Hanagami and the scientific creatives of Code Breaker have tapped into their curiosity to discover the barriers present in their respective institutions and work to dismantle them. For example, despite its massive potential, Jennifer Doudna recognized the financial barriers that would prevent certain groups of people—especially Africans and African Americans—from receiving life-saving treatment. She, then, embedded a new mission at her Innovate Genomics Institute (Isaacson 248), establishing a sickle-cell initiative and promoting health justice at an institutional level. Similarly, Kyle Hanagami creates and shares digital content across social media platforms to increase access to dance classes and knowledge, motivated by the mission of preventing institutionalization and social divides in this art form. In his acceptance speech at the 2024 Industry Dance Awards, Hanagami stated his goals of representation. He wants to show Asian dancers and cancer survivors that they, like him, can partake in the dance community and whatever success comes their way. Just as George Church confesses in the quote above, Kyle consistently chooses to be a guiding light for underrepresented people in order to create the future he wants to see.