Maguette Camara

Maguette Camara is a globally recognized West African dancer, choreographer, teacher and drummer who is based in New York City. 

Maguette began his career at a young age with The Ballet Bougarabou Dance Company in Dakar, Senegal. His extensive experiences with this company allowed him to perform and present workshops in Morocco, Canada, Senegal, South Korea, Guadeloupe and The United States. His dedication and talent have earned him the opportunity to perform in impressive venues such as the Guggenheim Museum, The American Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Rolling Stones World Tour, Epcot Theme Park at Walt Disney World, The World Trade Center Jazz Festival, the Broadway Performance “Angelique” and the opening act for Senegalese vocalist, Baaba Maal. Maguette’s talents have been praised by The New York Times, The Root TV, Dance Teacher Magazine, The New York Public Library, The Villager, Good Day New York, New York 1 News, Fox 5, NBC and MTV. 

Maguette has been a faculty member at The Ailey School and Barnard College since 1997. In addition, he teaches weekly open classes at The Ailey Extension and Djoniba at Peridance Capezio Center for all levels and all ages. Camara is known for his incredible energy and positive demeanor. Maguette’s New York City in-person classes have enjoyed a devoted following at all skill levels.

Camara’s remote live classes are now reaching hundreds of participants from not just New York City, but across the globe from France, Germany, Israel, Canada and Australia.

“If an educator shows passion for what they do, it can only draw students in,” said Katie Glasner, Assistant Chair and Senior Associate at The Department of Dance at Barnard College. “His absolute unbridled joy for what he does is simply infectious.”