Sherrella Rollins a wife, mother of two, and elementary educator, is originally from Tyler, Texas. She relocated with her family to the Houston, TX area. As a trained modern and jazz dancer, Sherrella used her gifts to praise and worship Christ through dance. She’s someone who found comfort in leading others into worship through movement. The social anxiety stricken introvert would come alive with praise dance. However, God asked Sherrella to step outside of her comfort zone and use her voice. She answered His call with an initially hesitant yes and realized just how much God had to say through her. She sat aside her fears and began speaking before various audiences. Sherrella has spoken for women and youth conferences, various church services, wedding ceremonies, bible study groups, and speaks for special events for her home church. She has also had the honor of being featured on a Christmas worship album as a spoken word artist. Sherrella has decided to share her collection of spoken word poems by way of her book, “Savior”.
Christina: What is your SwagHer? What makes Sherrella, Sherrella?
Sherrella: I’m a Houston, TX transplant. I am originally from a small city known for its roses, Tyler, TX. However, in 2010 my family and I made the North Houston area our home. I’m the queen in a household of men. My husband and I have two teenaged boys; one athlete and one musician. My swag lies within how I’ve been uniquely designed to be a creative spirit. I love all things art and have been gifted in multiple areas within the art realm. I’ve been able to communicate through the language of dance for over 30 years. I danced throughout my early education and high school and trained in modern dance, jazz, and ballet in college. I’ve enjoyed the experience of teaching and performing with adolescents through adult dancers. My soul rejoices whenever I take in music, and dance has always been a form of that expression. I enjoy almost all genres of music, but I would say that I’m especially drawn to R&B, jazz, and gospel. As a child of a pianist and choir director, I’ve never known a time that I wasn’t a part of a choir. Although timid, as a child, I sang in my mother’s gospel choir. I went on to sing in my college choir, Soul II Soul. I continue to make a joyful noise every Sunday in my church choir.
My SwagHer: Two words – Creative and Visionary. I see the world through a Sherrella lens. I tend to see beauty in God’s natural creations; people, landscapes, the sky, weather, etc. Things that one might think of as simple; I see beauty. I’m a sketch artist, painter, and designer. Throughout all of these expressions of art, the written and spoken form of poetry has embraced my heart and made itself a home. I have a passion for sharing the gospel through the spoken word and poetry. Everyone has a certain way that they can receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. For me, it was through an art form. I believe millions of souls just like mine can and will be reached through art. I want to be that vessel.
Christina: What interested you in writing? Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Sherrella: Grammar/English Language Arts has always come easy to me, though I never considered myself a writer until 2012 I was asked to recite Amena Brown’s “He is Here” for a women’s conference. When verbally tracing over her words, I felt an overwhelming connection to them. I picked up the pen and began expressing myself through the poet forum and have not stopped since.
Christina: Tell us a little bit about your book, “Savior.” Where can readers go to purchase it?
Sherrella: “Savior” is a collection of Christian poems that offer a view into my spiritual journey. This includes the highs and the lows. You’ll find poems that illustrate internal struggles, personal triumph, worship, and adoration of Jesus Christ.
The book is available in paperback and on Kindle: www.amazon.com.
Christina: Why praise dancing? What about it invokes such a genuine reaction out of you?
Sherrella: As an introvert and accepting Christ as a teenager, I’ve struggled with what God has called His believers to do, and that is to go therefore and make disciples of all nations. I prayed and asked God to allow me to use my gifts to draw men unto Him. For a very long time, I struggled with clarity and understanding of the Bible, and although I’d danced most of my life, He spoke to me through praise dance. This was my gateway to better understanding and knowledge. There was something about the movement coupled with the lyrics and scripture that revealed truth. When I studied the Bible going forward, I had more clarity. I set forward to do the same with others through dance ministry. We studied the Bible and then expressed worship through the motion of dance.
Christina: Tell us about the Christmas worship album you are featured on. Where can readers go to listen?
Sherrella: “Peace Has Come”
Track 2 “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”
Released December 2, 2014
You can purchase and listen through Amazon Music and Apple Music.
Christina: You are an educator. What grade do you teach, and why did you decide to become a teacher?
Sherrella: I entered the world of education through dance. I taught high school dance and drill teams. Once my husband and I moved to the Houston area, I stayed at home with my boys. We joined a home school community. I fell in love with seeing the spark in my children’s eyes each time they learned something new. I decided to go into elementary education. In addition to teaching 3rd and 5th-grade math, I have taught 4th grade English Language Arts for the past five years.
Christina: Do you have any upcoming events or projects that you want our readers to know about?
Sherrella: I’m currently recording the audio version of “Savior.” It will be available as an audiobook in the near future on Amazon.com. In addition to the audiobook, I’m working on a few collections of poems. One collection is centered around the pandemic, and the other is geared toward our current cultural climate.
Christina: Is there anything else you would like to share?
Sherrella: I’ve been commissioned to do custom poems for weddings, anniversaries, women’s events, galas, church camps, and youth conferences. I look forward to customizing a poem for your next event.
Connect with Sherrella below:
Website: https://upbeat-motivator-52.ck.page/7bc8d9c59f
Instagram: @sdrpoet
Facebook: sdrollinspoetry
