About
Hi, I'm Mary.
Mary Roberts, MFA, is a choreographer-director and jazz dance educator at Troy University. With a wealth of experience as a Choreographer and Show Supervisor for major cruise lines including Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, as well as for Iberostar Resorts, Mary excels in creating engaging performances.
Through her multifaceted career as a performer, choreographer, and director, she exemplifies a financially viable path in the arts and shares this insight with her students. By grounding their ambitious goals in the rich history of dance's pioneers, she helps them discover their artistic roots.
As a Researcher of Audacity, Mary emphasizes fearless artistic choices and the professionalization of performers. Her experiential teaching approach combines studio work and rehearsals, preparing pre-professional dancers to reach their creative potential at the Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre and the Alabama School of Fine Arts.
Jazz roots
Every phrase carries lineage. I teach the history of jazz dance's pioneers alongside the technique, so dancers know where the movement comes from.
Researcher of Audacity
My research asks how fearless artistic choices shape dance and the careers of performers — and how audacity can be taught, not just admired.
Stage-tested
Choreography and show supervision for Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Iberostar Resorts, brought straight back into the studio.