Roukijah Rooks

Roukijah Rooks is an interdisciplinary dance artist and educator. She graduated from the University of the Arts, receiving her BFA in dance with an associate in business. Roukijah is trained in dance styles including but not limited to hip hop, African, ballet, contemporary, and modern dance. She has worked with artists such as Ronald K Brown, Kim Bears-Bailey, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Marguerite Hemmings, and Sidra Bell to name a few. Roukijah has choreographed for dance organizations, National Dance Institute, Bella Ballerina Dance Academy, Arts East New York, El Puente and more. Independently, Roukijah has also choreographed works on herself and other emerging artists, severing the idea of societal norms. Her works have been premiered throughout Philadelphia and New York City in both proscenium and experimental settings.

Transcript

So my name is Rioukijah Brooks, and I'm in New York City native born and raised.
My style is a fusion of a variety of styles that were created within the African diaspora. I would say that it's definitely informative, curious and it's a welcoming style but more so it is my ism, I think...inspiration is everywhere, you know, the world. Definitely the elements, the way the wind blows, water... the waves of the ocean... people, animals, how we interact with each other, all of those different things are inspiring and I think that they influence my movement, for sure.

I've definitely been dancing since at least two. And I think that it's starting. It's more so environmental, like cookouts, block parties and dance contests, But then also just in your living room. You know like in my household, staples were laughter,movement, and music. Right ,and it's embedded and music forces you to move... you intertwine that with 106 and Park, and that's me.

Roukijah.. Nutella K is a stage, but that's still who I am. And so a lot of the reason why I'm moving is because I'm telling a story of what's happening to me, or I am resonating with stories that are happening around me.

I've been blessed to know other movement artists, by training, and then also just being resourceful. Right. There's a lot of networking, you just people fall into your lap. I think it's bigger writing, just tap in and just to tap in with the world, you know, like you're not the only one here, there's more than one person on earth for a reason we need each other. And so that's important, and just speaking in regards to the black network specifically, is that much more empowering right because there's something that we have in connection to each other like, where it's like when I met you I feel like I knew you were ready. It's always a pleasure linking up with black people. That's the best way to say it.

With the pandemic a lot of artists kind of fell into this hole where we were like, how do I create, how do I stay inspired. And I think that I also had this wake up call where I realized, dance is not only about me, like it's literally driven by community. So throughout the pandemic, I started linking people, and now projects. are coming.
I understand the world that I'm living in, and I have to come to terms with the world, but there's no world and then there's my world, and I'm able to complete. And I'm able to bring in the people that I want. I think that we all liberate one another. And I think that, yeah, it also starts internally, like, liberating yourself knowing yourself knowing your worth. I think that that's what keeps me going and keeps me sane and keeps me happy, regardless of what's happening outside, and I can disconnect from it entirely, but I can also set a boundary.

So I think it'll be ideal for me to say a whole bunch of beautiful things. But I think that the world that we're going in and wherever my life isn't we're not supposed to be in a weird way. You know, honestly, aspirations are just to grow with the world. Everything that's happening around me. I see myself dancing, continuing to collaborate, and hopefully there was some tour work, traveling for sure.