Kahina H.
Biography
Kahina Haynes, Executive Director, is a passionate arts activist and the visionary architect behind DIW's strategic revitalization following the significant loss of its Founder/Artistic Director, Fabian Barnes.
Prior to her appointment by the Board of Directors, Ms. Haynes worked in program and process evaluation for a number of philanthropic and non-profit organizations including the United Nations (Bureau for Development Policy at UNDP), The Annie E. Casey Foundation, SafeKids Worldwide, and the World Bank Group. Ms. Haynes holds a B.A. from Princeton University with a Minor in African American Studies and a concentration in Dance; as well as, a Master's Degree from Oxford University in Evidence Based Social Intervention.
Today, at the Dance Institute of Washington, Ms. Haynes' primary goal is to continue to uphold the mission; namely, that all youth and families have equal access to exceptional dance training; and that the African American experience is celebrated through high quality art works from both local and visiting artists, students and professionals alike.
A Washington DC native, Ms. Haynes has always been connected to the arts. She began training in ballet at the age of three under the tutelage of her Grandmother, and went on to train at the Maryland Youth Ballet and School of American Ballet. To date, she credits a great deal of her personal and professional development to her early exposure to dance, which was afforded to her by the quality arts programs offered in her community. As a result, throughout her career, Ms. Haynes has worked extensively across multiple sectors, to capture, measure, and articulate the positive impact of artistic programming, with a particular focus on arts-integrated education.