Shola K. Roberts is an international performing professional dancer, dance educator, choreographer and fitness instructor based in Brooklyn, New York. 

In 2019, Shola was selected as one of the eight candidates to pursue her Doctoral degree in Dance Education at Columbia University. 

 

Shola attended Howard University  and earned her BFA in Dance and Caribbean Studies. She was apart of the last graduating class  that studied under the tutelage of the late Dr. Sherrill Berryman Johnson. It was during her tenure, the significance of being rooted in cultural traditions and community was reinforced and played a major role in her own teaching practices.

 

In 2017, Shola was named a Lincoln Center Scholar, where she and 9 other individuals received a full scholarship in the Hunter College Arnhold Graduate Dance Program. She earned a Masters in Arts- Dance Education while still teaching in the New York City Public School system. She currently serves as the Dance Educator and Arts Liason for MS 354- School of Integrated Learning in the Crown Heights region of Brooklyn. In May of 2017, Shola was featured on WNYC for her efforts within the community and  Dance Education program and was honored by the Brooklyn Borough President, Eric Adams for the work she has done in her community.

 

In 2016 Shola was honored with  the Barnes and Nobles Favorite Teacher  Award. Shola was selected out of a number of submissions and was recognized by the New York Daily News and The Caribbean Life Paper as “ a pillar and shero for the community.” She recently  launched a new program between two New York City public schools entitled Kə-ˈnek-shən: The Dance Workshop Series creating a platform for students to have a dance exchange. It received recognition in The Caribbean Times and Caribbean Life within the community.

 

Shola, a proud Grenadian American, has had the opportunity to work with many renowned dance companies and choreographers. Her credits include performances with Kowteff West African Dance Company under the Artistic direction of Sewaa Codrington, Oyu Oro under the Artistic direction of La Mora, Fritzalyn Hector, Francine Elizabeth Ott and Otis D. Herring, for whom she served as an assistant choreographer and an apprenticeship with Evidence under the artistic direction of Ronald K. Brown.  Shola is currently a part of the 2018, Voices of Congo Square cast, which made its debut in the Orpheum Theater in New Orleans, Louisiana.

 

She has also worked with the Purelements, an Evolution in Dance as a professional company member, teaching technique styles like Dunham, African and Jazz, just to name a few. Trinidadian recording artist Preedy has featured Shola’s choreography. She even choreographed the award winning dance presentation the for Ramajay Mas band in 2014- 2017 West Indian American Day Parade in Brooklyn. She’s currently a Dance Caribbean Collective Lead Artist and serving as the Choreographer/ Rehearsal Director for Dance Caribbean Collective’s and WIADCA’s Youth Performing Arts Company.  In 2017 and 2018 Shola served as one of the dancer’s for Grenada’s own three time winning Groovy Soca Monarch King, Dash.

 

Shola has even taken her passion and love for the art form to the island of Grenada and St. Marteen. In Grenada, she led  several dance workshops at the Conception Dance Theater under the direction of Ms. Cecilia Griffith in 2014 including a week long West African Diversity in Dance  workshop with over 75 students. In addition to promoting the arts through dance workshops, Roberts has appeared on several tv and radio shows like “Chit Chat with Lexan Fletcher” and  “Good Morning Grenada” to share her passion for dance.

 

In 2014, Shola was  an awardee of Caribbean Life’s  40 under 40 Caribbean Americans who have made an impact in their community. She was featured in Caribbean Life’s News Paper.

 

Shola  intends to enter as a doctoral student within the Ed.D. Dance Education Program at Teachers College with an interdisciplinary focus. Her research interests include the need of creating  a culture/ community through the arts for the purpose of physical, mental and emotional development.

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