Robert Battle

“I studied martial arts before I studied dance.”

“Eating is a necessity but a pleasure as well.”

“I grew up in a very spiritual home in a Liberty City neighborhood of Miami, FL. I was raised in the church, and my mother was a very inspirational person in my life.”

“My first professional relationship, I danced with the Parsons Dance Company, and David Parsons, my former boss, allowed me to choreograph on the company.”

“I come from strong people who believe in the freedom of expression and, of course, a culture that believes in that. So the idea of overcoming adversity is something that is not unfamiliar.”

“Performing abroad is ambassadorial.”

“I studied dance at a high school arts magnet program before moving on to Miami's New World School of the Arts, and from there, I went on to study at The Juilliard School.”

“There's a part of me that never felt my mother abandoned me. I always felt that she did the right thing.”

“I grew up in a household that had its roots in church and community and culture and poetry and song and in the arts. Those aspects certainly shaped what I do.”

“I never expected to go to Juilliard. When they came recruiting in Miami, I auditioned. I got a scholarship.”

“I wanted to be an Ailey dancer. I would watch Alvin Ailey videos over and over, and I'd picture myself doing that. I was obsessed with it.”

“I remember the Food Network when it was first starting out: Emeril Lagasse and all those people who helped make it when it was on a shoestring budget. It actually encouraged me to start cooking.”

“Reflection is not something you have a lot of time for.”

“'Revelations' is one of the most important pieces to the African American arts. It assesses the hope and despair of a people and overcoming the struggle with our faith.”

“Seeing 'Revelations' made me want to be a professional dancer.”