We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shartoya Jn.Baptiste. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shartoya below.

Alright, Shartoya thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I was introduced to dance at the age of 7. It all started as a hobby and a place where I found community. At the age of 17, my dance group and I received the opportunity to represent Saint Lucia at CARIFESTA. CARIFESTA is like the Olympics of Caribbean arts; it’s a festival that celebrates and promotes Caribbean art and is hosted in a different island every other year. In 2012, Haiti was the host. My dance group and I have been preparing for this for months. At this same time, I had recently graduated from Community College and was job searching. I applied for a teller position at a notable bank. The pay was $1,200 and this would be my first job ever! I was so excited. About one week before we set out for CARIFESTA, I got the job! ..but that joy was short-lived when I was told that my first day was the same day we left for CARIFESTA. I was faced with a big decision, do I accept my first job ever and leave my dance team to figure out how to handle my absence in the dance pieces that we had been working on for months, or do I deny this job opportunity and choose to my community, to travel, dance and experience other Caribbean cultures?

Haiti was beautiful, one of the most beautiful islands I have gone to. The news networks shed a negative light on Haiti, the beauty and art of Haiti is unbelievable. When I decided to choose dance, I realized I wanted to pursue this path and I am so blessed and grateful to have artistry be part of my DNA and my career.

Shartoya, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Born and raised on the picturesque island of Saint Lucia, my spark for the performing arts ignited at seven. I have represented Saint Lucia at numerous regional and international dance festivals and have performed and choreographed for national events, the Caribbean Cricket Premier League cheerleaders, and multiple Soca artists. I am an avid advocate for dance in Saint Lucia. Whenever I return home during summer and Christmas, I host dance classes and create dance concept videos that showcase the dance talent in Saint Lucia. One of my biggest accomplishments to date is “The SHR Experience” – a one-day dance workshop where international choreographers visit Saint Lucia to teach various dance styles and learn a Saint Lucian cultural dance. The proceeds from The SHR Experience are injected into the Saint Lucian dance community by purchasing equipment for dancers and dance studios that lack the necessities for training.

After migrating to the US in 2017, I decided to further my education in the arts. I deliberately did not choose dance as I was curious about theatre. I hoped to learn as much as I could so that when I returned home, I could share my knowledge. I explored costume design, lighting design, prop building, and more. Scenic design was the class I realized I started enjoying as much as I enjoyed dance. I graduated from Towson University with a BSc in Theatre Design and production during the pandemic. I then decided to dive deeper into scenic design since everything in the world seemed to have been put on pause. I attended the University of Maryland to pursue an MFA in Design.

Since then, I have designed P.Nokio (Imagination Stage, Helen Hayes Nominated), Out of the Vineyard (Joe’s Movement Emporium, World Premiere), and Is God Is (Constellation Theatre). UMD credits include By The Way, Meet Vera Stark, The Book Club Play, Fall Dance Thesis, and Spring Dance Thesis. Other credits: Sense and Sensibility (American University). Assistant Scenic Design credits include Beastgirl (The Kennedy Center) and Choreographer credits include Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds (The Hangar Theatre).

My Caribbean culture has been a major foundational pillar in my designs and choreography. If I could, I would choose to be born Saint Lucian in every lifetime. The color palette of the island, the rhythm in the music and traditional dances, the value of community and teamwork, the “make do with what you have” mentality, and the resilience of the people, all bleed into my art. I think that is what makes my work special.

In dance, I create textures and stories with the bodies in space. In scenic design, I create movement with objects in a space. I think they use the same part of my brain, just a different application or execution. My favorite part of the creative process is listening to the director’s vision and creating their world through my creative eye.

I do enjoy merging both the dance and scenic worlds. My dream job would be to choreograph and design music videos, concerts, or films.

YouTube channel – shr758.
IG – @shr758_

How did you build your audience on social media?

Post. Your. Work. Post your work! There will always be an audience out there that enjoys what you enjoy, they have to find you. I ensure I create and post content that is for me, and not for the audience. In other words, I do it for me. I deliberately chose that thought process so I don’t get tied up in the likes or follows. Be proud of your work whether its complete, or not. Just… post your work!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

That answer changes now and then, but my biggest goal is to create work that fills my cup (…and my pockets). Hence, I want to create work that is overall enjoyable, challenges me as an artist or human, and has a story or lessons that resonate with the viewer. What is currently driving me is my curiosity and my ability to dream.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shr758.com/portfolio/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shr758_/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDow10TonF8O-lalIHp2IJQ