Ama Law

Mariama "Ama" Law was born into African dance culture through Kankouran West African Dance Company, as both parents are founding members. While at University of Maryland (UMD), Ama enjoyed choreographing, directing and dancing with DyNaMiC hip hop dance team. Ama graduated with a B.S. in Biology and a certificate in Women's Studies. After undergrad, Ama intensely studied in New York completing a professional semester at Broadway Dance Center under the likes of Luam Keflezgy, Hollywood, and Sheila Barker. Ama was inspired by various mentors in New York and returned to the DC, Maryland and Virginia (DMV) area inspired to share and create. 

As an alumni of local DMV hip hop groups Culture Shock DC and KickRocks crew, Ama enjoys staying grounded and connected with the community. They dedicate their career to the creative possibilities of intersecting dance traditions to facilitate important conversations about social change. They have taught and choreographed at various institutions including the Kennedy Center, George Washington University, Dance Place, Wilson College, Howard University, UMD, University of Kentucky, and Bates Dance Festival - having taught the various youth programs for four years annually. 

Ama was a Professorial Lecturer of Dance at American University, coordinating concerts, festival participation, and directing the American University Dance Company. Currently, Ama is involved in the rotation of lovely humans teaching at Dance Place DC as part of the Rooting the Dance Series! In the theatre world, Ama enjoys directing and choreographing for plays and musicals. She was nominated for BroadwayWorld’s Best Choreographer (professional) for Constellation Theater’s IS GOD IS in 2024. 

Together with Chris Law, Ama creates work as Project ChArma, a project-based dance theater company dedicated to using art as activism; pronounced "karma" because it guides their lives. Project ChArma has been on several curatorial teams to present National Dance Day at the Kennedy Center, having a lead role in the 2023 event celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop. The company premiered Chronicles of Nina... What now? at the Kennedy Center in April 2024 as recipients of the Local Dance Commissioning Fund!

Ama received an MFA in dance from UMD in 2019 and has returned as an Artist-in-Residence, conducting movement research and developing a collaborative teaching relationship with UMD students, staff, and local community members. In this role she has directed three main stage productions, including the co-direction of Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf with UMD colleage - Assistant Professor Fatima Quander. Ama is a passionate educator, always searching for new avenues to provide inspiration to the future generation of movers to not only become fierce, but knowledgeable individuals.