Front row: Eric Roberson (dad), Emily Roberson, Raelene Roberson (mom). Back row: Hilary Duncan (EHS dance team coach), Raechel Roberson (Emily's sister), Lisa Stark (EHS dance team assistant coach)

EDWARDSVILLEEmily Roberson has had a passion for dance her entire life.

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Roberson, who recently graduated from Edwardsville High School, was a four-year captain of the school's dance team and performed during Tiger football and basketball games along with her teammates.

That passion for dance is helping her take the next step; Roberson signed to attend the University of the Arts in Philadelphia in a recent ceremony at EHS. The school's roots date back to the 1870s, when it was two arts schools, and became what it is known as today after a merger in 1985.

The school is part of the Avenue of the Arts arts district of the Center City neighborhood in Philadelphia; the area includes the downtown central business district and several Center City neighborhoods.

“I've been dancing my whole life,” Roberson said, “and I knew I didn't want to stop, so I wanted to pursue my dance career. The University of the Arts wasn't on my list (of schools she wanted to attend; she also looked at New York University, Pace University in New York and Chapman University in Orange, Calif.); someone told me about it in the last minute. I went to it and fell in love.”

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The university does not have a competitive dance team; Roberson will be studying dance there as part of the school's College of Performing Arts, which includes dance as one of its majors. Nearly 1,900 students are enrolled at the school in 41 undergraduate and graduate programs, including the arts, dance, film and theater arts.

“I did the dancing at the high school and I liked it, but I was more interested in studio dance, which is where you study different kinds of dance,” Roberson said. “I'll be doing many different kinds (of dance) there – contemporary, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop and tap. I love contemporary (dance); that's my favorite.”

“Emily is a special dancer; she's so talented in everything she does with dance,” said Tiger dance team coach Hilary Duncan. “I have no doubt she's going to go far with it; I really think she has the ability to make this a lifelong career. She is one of the best dancers to ever come out of Edwardsville.

“She's a hard worker and she's determined; she's focused and I could not be happier for her. She was a huge part of our program and it's a really big loss to have to lose her.”

Roberson has the potential to become famous through her dance, Duncan feels. “I've seen her make entire crowds of people cry from her performance,” Duncan said. “She's literally that good.”

“You really can't be picky (in the dance world),” Roberson said of what she would like to do after her graduation. “I'm going to audition for a lot of things, like if there's something open, I'm going to audition and kind of go from there. I really don't have anything specific in mind right now.”

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