Rona D. Roberts, Ph.D., Owner & Choreographer, Rhapsody's Revue
Rona D. Roberts was born on the island of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Under the tutelage of Atti van den Berg Bermudez — an accomplished dancer/choreographer — Rona developed a love for dancing and acquired this along with other theatrical performances at the age of six. From the age of nineteen she has taught classical ballet, modern, jazz, and Afro-Caribbean dances. Later performing with Otis “Sule” Alexander’s Street Theater, Inc. and then with Umoja African Dance Ensemble, Rona crafted an artistic style rooted in urban and contemporary modern dance.
In 1989-1994, Rona co-founded Rhapsody Performance Ensemble while attending Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. She was the group’s artistic director and principal choreographer. Her repertoire included several familiar musical dance renditions such as Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” and Sunday Morning, along with the colorful and lively Bele dance. Poetry then was incorporated into the program and many “poetry corners” were formed. Poems from the Harlem Renaissance period were eloquently presented, including poems by Langston Hughes and Paul Laurence Dunbar and our contemporary poet Maya Angelou. Currently, Rona is the artistic director of Rhapsody's Revue - an intimate group of talented, vibrant and creative dancers from Atlanta, Georgia, who combine music and dance origins from the Caribbean, Africa and modern America in an eclectic blend of dynamic cultural fusion.
Rona earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1992 and a Master of Science degree in Education in 1994 from Duquesne University. While a teacher at the Woods-Wilkins Center in Marietta, Rona recognized the hidden and workable talents in her students. This became the birth of the CrossRoads Players, and was quite a success and is still remembered by her former students. Rona then moved to pursue her doctoral degree. She accomplished her goal in 2004 and today holds a Doctorate in Philosophy from The University of Southern Mississippi. Presently, Rona is employed with Marietta City Schools as a school system administrator.
Rona and her daughter live in Dallas, Georgia.
