Jamar Roberts talks with his hands — a lot.
It’s maybe what you’d expect from a choreographer. He speaks with his whole body.
Movement is Jamar’s language. It’s how dancers express themselves — and how he creates world-class dance.
Jamar’s travels around the world as a sought-after dancer and choreographer have brought him home to South Florida. He’s back in Miami, where he was born, for the world premiere of his first production with Miami City Ballet. It’s called Sea Change. It's part of Miami City Ballet's Fall Mix, the season opener for their 2023/24 season.
This gift of expressing himself through movement is what sets Jamar apart from the other kids in South Dade. Well, that and the fact he’s 6 foot 4.
While his brothers were playing sports, Jamar was dancing. That gift changed his life.
Jamar became a dancer for one of the most important dance companies in America. He was with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York for 20 years: first as a dancer, then as their resident choreographer.
So we went to Sundial producer Elisa's old ballet studio and we met him at Miami City Ballet before rehearsal.
On the Oct. 18 episode of Sundial, we talked with Jamar about Sea Change, the women who mentored him, and his complicated relationship with his hometown.
On Sundial's previous episode, we spoke with Alt.Latino hosts Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre about their "El Tiny" concert series. We also heard their conversation with singer Becky G.
Listen to Sundial Monday through Thursday on WLRN, 91.3 FM, live at 1 p.m., rebroadcast at 8 p.m. Missed a show? Find every episode of Sundial on your favorite podcast app, such as Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify.
