Carmen Sofia Dence, a long-time project participant of Missouri Folk Arts, was awarded the 2022 Individual Artist Award by The Missouri Arts Council. Dence, an important part of Missouri’s dance community for decades, shares the music and dance of her homeland through her performances. Dence continues to teach and inspire the art community through her work.  

She founded the Grupo Atlantico performance troupe in 1995, which has a purpose “to share rich tri-ethnic heritage” of the Caribbean and coastal regions of Columbia, South America, through folk dancing, the Missouri Arts Council website states.   

The Missouri Arts Council honors the state’s art heroes by celebrating and recognizing cultural and artistic contributions of individuals, organizations, and communities.  

You can learn more about Dence’s award and work here: https://www.missouriartscouncil.org/missouri-arts-awards-2022/