Sanaaj Mirrie
Founder and Artistic Director
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Sanaaj Mirrie is a social entrepreneur, cultural arts ambassador, community developer, and performing artist with a deep belief in the power of dance, drumming, culture, and connection to one’s roots.
Sanaaj founded Afiwi Groove School as a nonprofit community arts organization to provide children and youth with a safe, welcoming space to express themselves, build confidence, and connect with African and Caribbean culture. Her passion for this work is rooted in her own lived experience. As a teenager, African dance became a source of healing, strength, and self-expression as she navigated anxiety, low self-esteem, and the impacts of being exposed to violence and poverty at a young age.
Since the age of 17, Sanaaj has trained with renowned artists and cultural leaders, including Albena de Assis, B’memba Bungora, Ngoma Drum and Dance Ensemble, Vivine Scarlett, and Master Amadou Kienou. She has trained and performed locally and internationally in Cuba, Haiti, Guyana, Ghana, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Sanaaj attended York University in Toronto, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Development Studies with a focus on social and cultural development. She has combined her formal education, lived experience, and passion for dance and drumming to build Afiwi as a space where the arts are used as a tool for cultural pride, social change, youth empowerment, and community development.
