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On a Monday morning in 2014, just days after performing with the world-renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Kelly Robotham walked into Armour Dance Theatre in South Miami and asked its director, “Do you have a job?”
Within weeks, Robotham found herself in the classroom, introducing young children to the art form that had shaped her own life. And she was good at it. Over the next decade she advanced from faculty member to community programs director, and now, to artistic director.
“After leaving Ailey, I wanted to move back to Miami,” she said. “I came to Armour and started teaching. That’s when I discovered my passion for it.”
Now, a decade later, Robotham is making history as only the third person, and the first Black woman, to lead the 77-year-old conservatory. She will take the job in January 2026. Her appointment honors the legacy of her predecessors while redefining what dance education means for Miami’s next generation.
“I will never forget the first time I saw Kelly perform as a high school freshman at New World School of the Arts,” said Hannah Baumgarten, co-artistic director of Dance NOW!Miami in Little Haiti. “Her presence was mature beyond her years, and her dancing impeccable. To see her now leading one of Miami’s most historic dance institutions makes me so proud. She’s the kind of artist and educator who elevates everyone around her.”
Founded in 1949 by ballet pioneer Thomas Armour, Armour Dance Theatre is one of Miami’s oldest and most respected conservatories. Based in South Miami, it has trained generations of dancers who have gone on to perform with companies such as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Miami City Ballet, and Dance Theatre of Harlem. The school also offers free and low-cost programs to hundreds of children across Miami-Dade County through its community outreach initiative.
Born in the Bronx, Robotham spent her childhood riding bikes and playing outdoors with her siblings. In 1998, when she was nine, her father moved the family to Miami. Her introduction to dance was almost accidental. At age 10, her father and stepmother enrolled her in an after-school hip-hop program. Something clicked immediately.
“After that first hour of hip-hop, I was like this is it- this is my calling,” she said. “And believe it or not, by the age of 10, I had already made the decision that dance was going to be a major part of my life.”
What started out as an after-school hobby became 17 hours of weekly training. Robotham enrolled in ballet, modern, and tap classes, determined to catch up with peers who had been dancing for years.
Her hard work paid off when she was accepted into Southwood Middle School’s performing arts magnet program and then into the highly respected New World School of the Arts, where her transformation began.
Robotham studied pointe, modern dance, and classical ballet at New World under some of Miami’s most renowned instructors including Ruth Wiesen, who had performed as a soloist with the Miami Ballet and NWSA.
“I’ve known Kelly since she was 14, she was a bright, promising young dancer at New World,” Wiesen said. “It was clear from the start that she had a rare combination of talent, humility, and determination.”
That early encouragement shaped the way Robotham viewed dance and herself.
“Ruth made me feel seen,” Robotham said. “Starting that late, you feel slightly discouraged – everyone’s doing the double pirouette, and you’re having a hard time. She never made me feel like I couldn’t. She gave me the tools I needed to succeed.”
After graduating from New World School of the Arts, Robotham auditioned for the Juilliard School in New York City and was accepted.
“Juilliard allows in only 12 females and 12 males each year from across the globe so it was really intimidating to be accepted,” she said.
From Juilliard she went on to start her professional career.
One of the most renowned modern dance groups in the world, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, welcomed Robotham in 2010. She performed across Africa, Europe and the Americas while on tour, and even danced for President Barack Obama at the White House.
Robotham’s career with Alvin Ailey launched her professional career and deepened her experience in the world of dance.
“I didn’t know it was going to happen at the age of 20 for me,” she said. Robotham was living out a dream that traced to childhood.
After dancing with Alvin Ailey for five years, Robotham knew it was time to take her career in a different direction. So she moved from New York back to Miami to be close to loved ones.
She found a job working with children under age 10 at Armour Dance Theatre in 2014.
“There’s something about teaching young kids an art form and seeing them grow that was rewarding for me,” she said.
Soon after her role as dance faculty at Armour Dance, she transitioned into arts administration deepening her understanding of arts education. She became community programs director under Ruth Wiesen. The program supports underserved schools and provides students with access to quality dance training.
“We use dance as a vehicle to remove obstacles,” Robotham said. “That kind of work really resonated with me.”
Robotham has served as the community programs director at Armour Dance for the past three years and is starting her new role as the third artistic director at Armour Dance Theatre this upcoming January.
Wiesen, who selected Robotham as her successor, wrote in a letter to the Armour community: “Kelly embodies the vision and love that defines Armour Dance Theatre. She leads with high expectations, but with empathy and understanding — a balance that defines true leadership.”
“I step into the role with so much respect for the legacy of the organization and a lot of excitement,” she said.
As she takes the reins, Robotham hopes to cultivate a space for each dancer – empowering them and guiding them to embrace the art of dance.
This story is part of a collaboration between Miami’s Community Newspapers and the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media at Florida International University.
