Dance Faculty

Roxi Victorian, M.A.

Assistant Professor of Dance
Program Coordinator, Dance Minor Program

Office: Hayden Hall, Room 15
Phone: (225) 771-4061
Email: roxi.victorian@sus.edu

Roxi Victorian is a dance scholar, choreographer, educator, and performance artist whose work bridges artistic practice, research, and community engagement. Her teaching and creative scholarship are grounded in Black dance traditions, embodied knowledge, culturally responsive pedagogy, and interdisciplinary approaches to performance.

A classically trained dancer, Victorian has studied ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz, and Black vernacular dance forms throughout her career. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and Theatre from Howard University and a Master of Arts in Dance Education from Texas Woman's University, where she is currently completing her Ph.D. in Dance.

Victorian's research examines Black girlhood, digital dance cultures, embodiment, and Black social and vernacular dance practices. Her scholarship has been presented at regional and national conferences and explores the ways movement functions as a site of identity formation, cultural memory, and community building.

As a choreographer and arts leader, she is the Founder and Artistic Director of Nyama Contemporary Dance Company and serves as Director of the Southern University Dance Ensemble. Through her teaching, creative work, and scholarship, Victorian is committed to cultivating the next generation of artists, educators, and cultural leaders while expanding opportunities for dance at Southern University.

Kelly White, M.A.

Instructor, Dances of the African Diaspora
Dance Minor Program

Office: Hayden Hall, Room 15
Email: kelly.white@sus.edu

Kelly White is a performer, choreographer, educator, and researcher specializing in the dances and cultural traditions of the African diaspora. A native of New Orleans and a second-generation educator, her work centers cultural preservation, embodied history, and community-based artistic practice.

White earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography from The University of Southern Mississippi and a Master of Arts in Dance Education from New York University. Her extensive training includes study and performance with renowned artists and organizations such as Jean-Léon Destiné, Ausettua Amor Amenkum, Plaza Cuba, New Waves Trinidad, Jacob's Pillow, Ase Dance Theater Collective, Kumbuka African Drum and Dance Collective, and Nia Love's Blacksmith's Daughter.

Her choreography and performance work have been featured in productions and festivals including DanceAfrica, Feast: A Yoruba Project, and Voices of Congo Square New Orleans, where she also served as Associate Director.

White is the Co-Founder and Director of EVOLVE Diaspora, an organization dedicated to advancing the study of African diasporic dance through professional intensives, cultural immersion experiences, community classes, and scholarly engagement. Her work creates opportunities for dancers, educators, researchers, and cultural practitioners to engage deeply with the histories, aesthetics, and contemporary expressions of African diasporic movement traditions.