Roshanda D. Spears
Bio:
Multi-talented, award-winning dance artist Roshanda Demetric Spears works in community venues, schools, dance studios, and universities, teaching dance and fitness in Northwest Louisiana and surrounding areas. She is the Managing Director of Shufflin’ Along, LLC, where she instructs private dance lessons, choreography, and fitness. Awards include Artist Fellowship in Dance for 2007-2008/2014-2015 (Shreveport Regional Arts Council - SRAC), Outstanding Choreography, and Excellence in Choreography for the 2011 Louisiana and Regional American Association of Community Theatres (AACT) Festival. In 2019, she was inducted as an honorary member of Chi Tau Epsilon Honorary Dance Society, Grambling State University. In the same year, she was honored and inducted by the Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc., Shreveport Chapter, “Outstanding Women Achievers: Her Story In History” in the area of Performing Arts. Spears directed the inaugural landmark SUSLA-GSU Homecoming 2020 Artists Reunion & Virtual Performance (National Endowment of the Humanities grant - SRAC). Spears is the dance instructor/choreographer at Shreveport Little Theatre and the Dance Ministry Coordinator for Greenwood Acres Dance Ministry of Greenwood Acres Full Gospel Baptist Church. Spears also provides fitness/exercise/dance with Shreveport Parks and Recreation (SPAR) and is the resident choreographer for Mahogany Ensemble Theatre. She also collaborates with Volunteers of America North Louisiana, bringing dance to Caddo students through after-school programming. In 2018 she completed the Artist UP! certification through SRAC. In 2021-2022, alongside three other colleagues, she helped develop a Dance Appreciation Course for the State of LA for dual-enrollment high school students and first-year college freshmen. In March 2023, she was honored by Shreve Memorial Library’s David Raines Branch, “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories,” recognizing women in all forms of media. On April 12, 2025, she was honored at Dance His High Praise 16 for her work in the community as a performing dancer, artist, and choreographer. Spears is the Founding Executive Director of the Shufflin’ Along Foundation & Performing Arts Scholarship Fund. Future endeavors, national choreography projects, and working toward her doctoral degree.
Artist Statement:
` I am an American choreographer specializing in creating works that speak to the human spirit. My works are geared toward telling stories and breathing life into the songs that they are choreographed to.
My works are created in various themes. These themes can be depicted in a play, musical, movie, or in the church of Jesus Christ in any of the genres of West African, Jazz, Tap, or Modern and Contemporary Dance styles.
People from various backgrounds are my influences. Their ideals, their habits, their daily lives, with the overarching subject matter pertaining to love and life.
By the end of each story you have seen, I hope you will have gained a deeper understanding of life and a sense of trust that you did not have before you saw the body of work.
In 2014, critic Anne Marie Welch stated, "Roshanda Spears is worthy of an award. She is definitely a proficient choreographer, a derivative of Alvin Ailey. Her choreography is inventive in some cases, quite moving and through the development of dancers of various sizes and experience is impressive." Welch also stated that she would like to see more of Roshanda's stage work.
WORK
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Roshanda D. Spears
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