Dance is purpose and intention is something that Dr. Shola K. Roberts strives to communicate
with those she engages with. Shola K. Roberts is an international performing professional dance artist, dance educator, choreographer, cultural enthusiast, and fitness instructor based in Arizona and Brooklyn, New York by way of Grenada, WI. She serves on the Arizona State University Herberger Institute Music, Dance, & Theatre Faculty as an Assistant Professor. Shola is also the Founder and Artistic Executive Director of Dance Grenada Incorporated, an organization rooted in creating a network for international and local Grenadian dance artists Her endeavors continue to illuminate as she has received several press features from the prominent Essence Magazine and Black Enterprise for the work of this international festival.

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Shola, a proud Grenadian American and 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, whom she performed for the 2021 Dance Africa film: Vwa zanset yo: y’ap pale, n’ap danse!, which earned a Bessie Award. In 2023, she founded the Shola K. Roberts Dance Company, which made its premiere in Scottsdale, Arizona, with the original choreographed piece entitled ‘De Spririt is Callin…’ Her artistry has also been displayed in the commercial realm where she served as one of the dancer’s/ choreographers for
Grenada’s own four-time winning Groovy Soca Monarch King Dash. In February 2020, she was selected to perform as a dancer for the international soca king Machel Montano in his final
concert series Machel Monday: The Wedding.

Dr. Roberts earned her doctoral degree within Columbia University’ Dance Education Program.
Her research focus is grounded in the philosophy of Ubuntu while utilizing a Culturally Relevant pedagogical approach in developing curriculum that addresses Grenada’s Folk dance in higher education as means to inspire and empower learners. The circles/communities in which they come from, push them to use those experiences to influence their development as a holistic citizen in this global community.
 

She has received the Outstanding Leadership Award from The New York State Dance Education Association. The Grenadian Consulate and the Grenadian Independence Committee in New York also honored Shola with the 2020 Cultural Ambassador Award. She was also featured in The Caribbean Life Newspaper and a two-part article series in Grenada’s paper The Informer. The title of the series is called “Shola K. Roberts: Making Grenada Proud.”Receiving numerous awards for her ability to cultivate and build community and culture was recognized by the York Daily News and The Caribbean Life Paper as “ a pillar and shero for the community.”
 

Traveling and taking her message of uplifting people through dance and cu is something this
Traditional TorchBearer has made her mission. Shola is extremely passionate about the arts
and her Caribbean culture and is grateful for the opportunity to share her passion for dance to
inspire, to touch and change lives.