Chakara Rosa

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A natural born dancer! At the age of three Chakara began dancing with Premier School of Dance in Denver, Colorado. As she grew older, the lovely dancer earned many opportunities to compete where she won awards and performed in recitals. The young artist was "a jack of all trades". Besides dancing, Chakara studied martial arts, played the flute, took ballroom classes, and gymnastics at a very young age. Everything stopped when the family suddenly packed up and moved to Florida in 2003. Road Trip! When coming to Florida Chakara didn't start dance again until after 4th grade. Song and dance at Gocio elementary was her next opportunity to perform and showcase her talent in 5th grade where she had one of the best teachers she thought as a young kid. From there, Chakara learned skills from her VPA Dance teachers at Booker middle school and The Lee Wetherington Boys & Girls Club where she earned some dance teaching opportunities as a teen and was always hand selected for major events to perform. Chakara, a mini celebrity in the dance world and her community was known for her talents. Filled with passion, Chakara developed a love for theater starting with The Player's Theater where she took up singing, acting, and dancing as well as earning teaching opportunities to teach Hip Hop, Jazz, Ballet, and Lyrical. Ms. Rosa had the opportunity to compete in competitions again, take convention classes, and perform in recitals. In 2007, she auditioned to be selected in the VPA Dance program at Booker High School. She made it! Booker created many opportunities for their students to perform, choreograph, showcase their own works, and volunteer for site specific projects. To add, Chakara got the chance to travel to Dance Festivals where she auditioned to perform and train with other festivals and dance companies.

Presently a part of "Westcoast Black Theater Troupe", Chakara has been a member since 2011. A ball of fire that she is has featured in many well known musicals and plays such as, In The Heights, The Color Purple, The Wiz, Black Nativity, The Cotton Club Cabaret, and many more. In 2020, she earned the lead dance role as Mary in the play Your Arms Too Short To Box With God with WBTT. She had the pleasure of being a part of the World Rowing Championship one year as one of WBTT's performing artists and choreographed a couple Young Artist Showcases. Oklahoma was another great show Chakara starred in as a dancer and voice ensemble with The Gulfcoast Symphony. Further, she performed many times on the Van Wezel stage; one performance being The Voices of the Holocaust, performing one of the dance solos. Chakara starrs in several local artist music videos as a dancer in the videos and has toured as a back up dancer with a local artist where we opened for well known artists. Chakara continues to work and create throughout the community with her love of dance. Her passion for dance continues to shine with Sarasota Contemporary Dance where she trains and performs every chance available.  
"If the essence of my being has caused a smile to have appeared upon your face or a touch of joy within your heart, then in living - I have made my mark."

-Thomas L. Odem Jr.