Shemar “King Mars” Herbert is a Caribbean-Canadian dance artist, educator, DJ, and cultural curator whose work bridges ancestral wisdom with contemporary expression. With roots in Nevis and Jamaica, his artistry explores the complexity and duality of Black diasporic movement — bridging past and present, continent and community. A devoted student of rhythm, he studies how patterns of sound and motion echo across generations, connecting ideas through time and culture.
A former company member with Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, Shemar has performed on some of the world’s most respected stages, including Jacob’s Pillow, the National Arts Centre, and the Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur. His movement language fuses Hip Hop, Jazz, and other respective American street dance styles with deep reverence for African and Caribbean traditions, revealing how Black expression forms the blueprint of contemporary dance.
As an educator, he has taught thousands of students across Canada through Sound Kreations, Unity Charity, and community residencies. His classes emphasize historical context, individuality, and the power of movement as storytelling, healing, and resistance. Influenced by mentors such as Sho Tyme Styles Play, Kimberly Cooper, and Sabrina Naz, Shemar’s approach blends respect for foundation with a commitment to evolution — teaching that dance is both study and spirit.
Under his artistic alias King Mars, Shemar extends his practice into the realm of music as a PAEDM (Pan-African Electronic Dance Music) and Caribbean DJ and founder of King Mars Agency, Culture Continuum, and Island Algoriddim. Through these initiatives, he curates immersive cultural experiences that merge dance, music, and education — from community gatherings to curated performance nights. His work centers on the belief that music holds ancestral knowledge and that through rhythm, communities can reconnect to identity, joy, and truth. His artistry bridges the worlds of stage and cypher — from performing professionally with Decidedly Jazz Danceworks to competing as a National Finalist at Red Bull Dance Your Style Canada (2024,2025), embodying the full spectrum of Black dance’s evolution from community ritual to international stage.
The name King Mars embodies his philosophy: “King” reclaims a lineage of African royalty erased from Western education, while “Mars” — the god of war — symbolizes his refusal to remain silent in the face of miseducation or cultural erasure. Together, they represent a royal warrior for truth — a vessel using art to challenge, uplift, and transform