Awards

Bicentennial Medal - 2021

Bridging the Visibility Gap - 2019

Iris Rosa Dance Floor

Location: Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center

About Iris Rosa

Recently retired director of IU’s African American Dance Company, Iris Rosa is celebrated as a pioneer not only at IU but in her field for the ways she merged art and black studies to provide students a holistic understanding of histories and cultures of the African American and African diaspora.

Appointed in 1974 by Herman Hudson, founder of the African American Arts Institute and then Department of Afro-American Studies, Rosa was the dance company's first and only director. Travel and international collaboration were a key part of Rosa's research and choreography following her first trip to Nigeria in 1978. She has studied, taught and collaborated with dance artists in West Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and Asia. Rosa also had an impact on the local community through outreach, including the African American Dance Company's Annual Dance Workshop, which marked its 20th anniversary this year.

Rosa has been recognized and honored for her legacy numerous times. In 2021, she received IU’s Bicentennial Medal for her distinguished contributions and years of service.