Ursinus Alum and Founder of Philadelphia's Roger Lee Dance Company Returns to Lenfest Stage

When Roger Lee, a 2010 graduate of Ursinus College, started college, he spoke of his longstanding dream of founding a dance company. Last spring, he realized his goal when Roger Lee Dance premiered. This month he will return to the stage that nurtured his dream to debut a Black History Month tribute at Ursinus College.

His concert, titled Dancing Through Black History, premieres Feb. 28 at 7 p.m., in the Lenfest Theater in the Kaleidoscope Performing Arts Center. The free program, commissioned by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, explores the themes of segregation, civil rights and integration.

Lee, who directed the student-run dance company and danced in the Ursinus College Dance Company, launched Roger Lee Dance last spring in Philadelphia. The company’s 2013 spring concert, Take 2 runs March 8-10 at The Performance Garage with three performances that combine contemporary jazz dance with soul music in four new dance works, including Snapshots, which is from the piece he created for Ursinus.

In addition to producing concert series and choreography showcases, Lee provides dance instruction, choreography, entertainment, and design services. He also serves as the assistant director and hip-hop & jazz dance faculty at the new Performance Art Center for Kids on Fabric Row in Queen Village. Lee teaches adult hip-hop dance classes around the city and writes articles for Dance/USA e-journal, The Dance Journal, Dance Advantage, Dance Magazine, and other dance publications.

Lee began his professional dance career in 2001 as an original member of FOX 29’s Good Day Philadelphia dance team. He continued his dance training at Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts, Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts and Ursinus College. While at Ursinus, Lee spent three seasons directing the student-run dance company, Escape Velocity. After graduation, Lee joined SHARP Dance Company as a guest artist and was soon promoted to his current role of company member. He has also been a guest artist with Mid-Atlantic Ballet, West Chester Dance Works and Chisena Danza.

He holds a master’s degree in arts administration, magna cum laude, from Drexel University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Dance and Media & Communication Studies, magna cum laude with honors, from Ursinus College.

Joining Lee on stage at Ursinus will be Ursinus alumni Katie Greco 2012 and Davis Jameson Howley 2011 along with current students Royale Randolph 2013 and Sasha Carvalho 2015.