About MAMAKEISH
Keisha Jiwon Kang
Founder / CEO / Director
"My first introduction to dance was ballet and Korean Traditional dance.
With both parents working in the Korean pop music industry, I naturally followed their path.
My experience in ballet and Korean Traditional dance was helpful in mastering the K-Pop genre.
I want to emphasize the fact that K-pop is not ONLY about copying the choreograph but requires a strong dance foundation in order to perform at a high level."
As a major entertainment companies trainee for many years and pre-debut member, Keisha has had unparalleled experience working and training with countless artists during her tenure as a trainee.
Educated by top experts in the industry, she has had experience in vocals, dance, music video recording, audio recording, photo shooting, and on-stage performing.
Currently, she is the director of MAMAKEISH KPOP ACADEMY and is focusing on educating talented and passionate students utilizing her K-Pop expertise.
Her ultimate goal is to advocate the Korean culture through K-Pop to the Vancouver community reaching as far as North America.
IN KOREA
1996~2004
1996년, 에스콰이어 그룹 계열 엔터테인먼트 인터스페이스201 의 음반파트 데뷔그룹 멤버로 발탁, 현재 S.E.S 의 슈, GOD 의 데니, 호영 그리고
NRG 의 (故)김환성 과 함께 혼성그룹 데뷔준비 중 슈의 SM 이적으로 팀이 해체되었다.
→인터스페이스201 은,
(故)유니, 채림 등 당대 최고의 배우들이 소속되어 었던 배우파트, 스톰 1기 모델 등 패션모델이 소속되어 있던 모델파트 와 음반파트가 있던 대기업 엔터테인먼트로서, 당시 음반파트 데뷔 2팀 중 앞서 데뷔한 팀은 주홍글씨의 스페이스A 이다.
팀 해체 후 ZAZA의 대체멤버로 MBC 방송출연과 행사참여를 했는데, 당시 멤버들 얼굴이 많이 알려지지 않아서 가능한 일이었다.
1998년, 예당음반에서 데뷔 준비중이던 한국최초 걸스힙합그룹 O-24에 합류 하였는데 일련의 일들로 데뷔 직전 팀에서 탈퇴하였다.
이후, O-24의 댄스 트레이너 였던 당대 대한민국 최고 힙합듀오 DEUX의 댄스팀 POSÉ (포제) 단장의 추천으로 듀스 이현도의 D.O 연습생이 되었다.
이후 힙합댄서로 스트릿신에서 활동하다가 재즈뮤지션 척맨지오니의 리메이크 곡으로 유명했던 MRJ-Feel So Good (1집 : The Style) 뮤직비디오로 데뷔하였다. 당시에는 서울음반, 도레미 레코드 등 음반회사에서 제작하던 여러팀을 거쳐서 데뷔 준비를 하고 자체적으로 힙합 그룹을 결성 하기도 하였으나
2004년 캐나다로 이민하였다.
이민 후 2006년 부터 MAMAKEISH로 활동하며 벤쿠버최초로 케이팝 댄스 수업을 시작하였다.
In 1996, she was chosen as one of the debut members for InterSpace201 Entertainment which was a subsidiary of
Esquire Group.
This team included,
SES’s Shoo, GOD’s Ahn, Danny and Son, Ho-young, the late NRG’s Kim, Hwan-Sung and herself as a co-ed group.
However, upon Shoo’s departure to SM Entertainment, the team was terminated.
→→Interspace201 was,
home to many top actresses such as the late Yuni and Chae-Rim.
As one of the major entertainment companies, they also had a modeling department which included Storm's (major Korean clothing brand at that time) first models.
Aside from her team from the Music department, there was another team who debuted called Space-A which had a hit song,
The Scarlet Letter.
Later, she was a replacement member for the group, ZAZA and appeared in MBC TV programs and stages performances.
This was possible as the original group didn’t make many public appearances.
In 1998, Ye-Dang Record Label was preparing to debut Korea’s first hiphop girl-group, O-24.
She was selected as the final member but due to unforeseen circumstances, she left the team just before the team’s debut.
At that time, O-24’s dance trainer was a leader of a dance crew called POSÉ and POSÉ was the formal dance crew for a legendary Korean hiphop duo called DEUX. With his strong recommendation, she began as a trainee with D.O which was owned by DEUX’s very own, Lee, Hyun-Do.
Thereafter, she performed on the street dance scene as a hiphop dancer for briefly and debuted in a music video to
MRJ’s hit song Feel So Good (1st Album : The Style) which was well-known as a remake of Jazz Artist, Chuck Manzioni.
She then joined several debut groups with different record labels such as Seoul Records and Doremi Records.
She was also part of a hiphop group with an independent label but ultimately, immigrated to Canada in 2004 and started first Kpop dance class in Vancouver as MAMAKEISH 2006.
IN CANADA
2006~Present
2006~Present CEO MAMAKEISH KPOP ACADEMY
2023 Workshop Langley Fine Art School
2023 Capilano University Asian Heritage Month Performance
2022 Director 20th Korean Heritage Cultural Festival Performance
2022 TV YTN (Korean Broadcast) Global Korean
2022 Dumpling Festival Performance
2022 45th Golden Spike Days Festival
2022 Director MAMAKEISH 3rd Anniversary Showcase "KULTURE"
2021 Korean Adoptees In Canada Performance
2021 Director 19th Korean Heritage Cultural Festival
2021 UNICEF Online Charity Concert
2020 Voter's Information Session Performance
2019 Director MAMAKEISH 1st Anniversary Showcase
2019 Kpop Festival “Together” Performance
2019 Judge 18th Korean Cultural Festival (Queen Elizabeth Theatre)
2019 Im, Chang-Jung North America Tour Dancer
2019 Multi-Cultural Event Performance
2018 Established MAMAKEISH KPOP ACADEMY
2018 Director CTC Tournament Final Half-time Show (Richmond Oval)
2018 Director 30th Annual Sharon’s Credit Union Performance (Bell Performing Centre)
2018 Director Autumn Festival Performance
2018 Judge Kpop Festival Performance
2018 Korean Community Day Performance