Zakiya Harris was born and raised in Jamaica, Queens, in New York. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Hampton University and her Master’s degree in Dance Education from New York University. She is currently the Co-founder and Artistic Director of Asase Yaa School of the Arts in Brooklyn, NY as well as a 17-year-veteran dance educator for the NYC Department of Education at Dr. Susan S. McKinney Secondary School of the Arts. She has taught thousands of students throughout New York. As a professional dancer, she has performed in some of the country’s most renowned theaters and has toured the United States, South Africa, and Brazil.