Instructors
Nadia Dieudonné
Afro-Haitian
Nadia Dieudonné is a seasoned choreographer, performer and dance educator who began dancing at an early age. By 12, Dieudonné was performing with well-known Haitian folk singer and community activist Myriam Dorismé. Dieudonné was also mentored by the Haitian dance icon Jean-León Destiné and worked with him for many years as a performer and assistant instructor. Dieudonné's innate talent as a Haitian dancer grew stronger in 1990 when she began traveling to her homeland to research and study the origins, purpose of Haitian dance and its connections to Africa. She honed her skills by attending several lakous -- communities that preserve and practice specific Vodou ceremonies -- in the countryside and by frequenting esteemed dance schools in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and New York.
Today, due to her diligent work, research and study of the heritage of Haitian dance, Dieudonné is known as one of the best banda dancers outside of Haiti. Her passion for dance led her to establish Nadia Dieudonné & Feet of Rhythm, a Brooklyn-based Haitian dance company specializing in theater performances with live instrumentation. In the founding of this organization, Dieudonné also created Feet of Rhythm Kids to include Haitian-American youth who are not aware of nor exposed to the vibrant culture of Haiti. Through their performances and signature cultural program called "Konbit," Feet of Rhythm has been educating the community through the performing arts for almost three decades.
Emilio Hernandez Gonzalez
Afro-Cuban
Emilio Yasmel Hernández González is a native of Havana, Cuba. He studied at the School of Art Instructors of Havana and has built a distinguished career as a dancer and choreographer of musical shows. Emilio is a First-Level Solo Dancer and the Principal Choreographer of the Raíces Profundas Company.
He received the Ramiro Guerra Award in 2016 for Best Folkloric Dance Performance in Cuba, as well as the National Choreography and Best Show Award in 2018–2019 for his work Patakkin. Emilio has participated as a workshop leader and jury member in international dance events and festivals across various countries.
Djeneba Sako
West African (Malian)
Djeneba Sako
Born in Bamako, Mali, Djeneba Sako began her journey with dance and music at the young age of 5. Her family put a lot of importance on her education, but to her father’s dismay, she was often skipping class to follow the rhythmic sounds of drumming that floated through the the streets of the city, and would go dance for the drummers. When she was 10, her father once again pleads for her to continue her education so she would one day find a good job. It was at this moment that Djeneba recognized her passion and love for dancing, and declared that dancing was her job.
She started dancing professionally at age 11 with the Bienal District Troupe. She danced with them for eight years, during which time they won the National Biannual Dance Competition four times in a row. From there she went to the District of Bamako troupe, representing the city of Bamako, where she danced for eight years. With this group she traveled to Paris for the Paris International Dance Festival, which featured the best of ethnic dance from all over the world. She then joined the renowned traditional dance group Troupe Komi Djosse, after which she joined the Troupe Kantis featuring renowned djembefola Mamadou Kante.
Iman Marshall
New Orleans Bounce
Iman Marshall
Iman Keilah, a New Orleans native dancer, has graced renowned stages alongside global icons including Jon Batiste, Shakira, Kanye West, and Doja Cat. Working with renowned choreographers namely, Jemel McWiilliams, Ebony Williams, Mandy Moore, Jamaica Craft, Don”Draico” Jonhson, Tracy Phillips, and more has extended her talents beyond live performances, into televised and filmed productions such as HBO’s Lovecraft Country, CMT’s Nashville, Spike Lee’s “Old Boy,” and Zaxby’s and Samsung commercials. Iman holds a BFA in Dance from Tulane University and is the owner of the heels brand, HEELED®. Her choreographic debut was in 2019 alongside artist Leikeli 47, unveiling “Tic Boom” in an episode of “Grown-ish”. Since then, she's collaborated with esteemed names like Nike, Lucky Daye, and Viiv Healthcare, showcasing her exceptional creative direction and choreographic prowess.
Quenia Ribeirio
Afro-Brazilian
Quenia Ribeiro is a dancer, choreographer, and dance instructor from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. With over 25 years of experience in the field of dance, Quenia has performed and taught in Brazil, Greece, Canada, and throughout the United States. Her work has been featured in interviews and performances broadcast on PBS, NBC, ABC, WPIX, Telemundo, and Fox 5 television. She has been on faculty at the Alvin Ailey Extension in New York City since 2005, where she teaches samba and Afro-Brazilian dance. As a dance instructor, dancer, choreographer, and cultural educator, she has been teaching samba and Afro-Brazilian dance in New York City since 1997 at many dance schools, including Jose Limon Studios, Hunter College, Djoniba Dance and Drum Center, and Harlem School of the Arts. In addition to teaching adults and visually impaired senior citizens, she has worked extensively in the public and private school system with both children and teens teaching Afro-Brazilian dance and creative movement. Her work and instruction have also become widely recognized through her series of four instructional Brazilian dance DVDs as well as through her self-produced, groundbreaking instructional samba dance application for iPhone and iPad (Idancesamba).
Dr. Shola K. Roberts
Grenadian Folkloric
Dr. Shola K. Roberts is an international dance artist, educator, choreographer, cultural advocate, and fitness instructor based in Arizona and Brooklyn, New York, by way of Grenada, W.I. She is an Assistant Professor at Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Music, Dance & Theatre and the Founder/Artistic Executive Director of Dance Grenada Incorporated, a platform connecting Grenadian and international dance artists. A proud Grenadian American, Shola recently earned her doctorate in Dance Education from Columbia University, with research rooted in Ubuntu philosophy and Culturally Relevant pedagogy to preserve Grenada’s folk dance traditions in higher education. Her work has been featured in Essence and Black Enterprise, and she has collaborated with renowned companies and choreographers including Kowteff West African Dance Company, Oyu Oro, Francine Elizabeth Ott, and Otis D. Herring. In 2023, she launched the Shola K. Roberts Dance Company, debuting her original piece The Spirit is Callin… in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Shola’s performance highlights include the 2018 Voices of Congo Square at the Orpheum Theater in New Orleans and the Bessie Award-winning 2021 Dance Africa film Vwa zanset yo: y’ap pale, n’ap danse! She has received the Outstanding Leadership Award from the New York State Dance Education Association, as well as the 2020 Cultural Ambassador Award from the Grenadian Consulate and Independence Committee in New York. Recognized as a Traditional Torchbearer, Shola is dedicated to uplifting people through dance, celebrating Caribbean culture, and inspiring communities around the globe.
Michelle Gibson
New Orleans Second Line Aesthetic
Michelle N. Gibson is a choreographer, educator, and cultural ambassador whose work embodies the rich traditions of the African Diaspora and her New Orleans roots. She holds a B.F.A. in Dance from Tulane University and an M.F.A. from Hollins University/American Dance Festival at Duke University. Currently Professor of Practice in Dance at Southern Methodist University, Gibson’s practice spans Contemporary Afro Modern, Afro Funk, Jazz, and her signature New Orleans Second Line Aesthetic.
Her acclaimed works include Takin’ it To The Roots (performed at The Joyce Theater and Jacob’s Pillow), Voices of Congo Square, and Displaced Yet Rebirth for Dallas Black Dance Theatre. Gibson has presented nationally and internationally, from leading Second Line parades at the Ascona Jazz Festival in Switzerland to choreographing new works for Ohio State University.
As a scholar and cultural leader, she has lectured at Northwestern, Duke, Columbia College Chicago, and USC, and curates the annual Culture, Brass, and Jazz in the Park Festival in Dallas. She was also featured in Moving Together, the documentary selected for Dance on Camera at Lincoln Center (2023).
