Kymani Queen

Kymani (She/Theirs/Viewers Choice) is a Twin-Cities based generative performing artist, musician, composer/songwriter, storyteller, singer, and dancer/choreographer. She has spent over two decades honing her skills as a generative artist through her work with regional Twin Cities theaters, as well as public schools and programs for young artists, as a Director, Music Director, Composer, and Choreographer. They have worked with youth artists throughout the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota teaching residencies and leading workshops in music and theater creation. Previous credits as a singer/musician and collaborator include live performance, studio projects and film and video, working with artists Dessa, Sims, and Desdamona.

My Process: I begin with assessing a starting point of development, the goals of the individual I work with, and then establish a structure or framework for what the student hopes to achieve. Through vocal and writing exercises, we explore sensation, emotion and interpretation and vocal control. It is a process of freeing and playing within that freedom. Only the structure is concrete and the rest is ambiguous/obscure until the moment of clarity, but each moment of creation is met with a “yes/and/as well as”. I experience along with my student, the tension that uncertainty creates, the discomfort of freedom unknown, and the release of that tension when discovery has no limitations. And it is a wonderful thing to see this grow in them, the feeling of freedom they find when there are no wrong answers, only ripe opportunities.

Kymani believes all areas of the Performing Arts are essential to building community, not only in education or as entertainment, but is vital because of its power to engage audiences in social discourse and elevate new and uncommon narratives that can be informative, transformational and strengthens community.