The ensemble was established in 1982 as the African Dance and Drum Ensemble by Dr. Willie Anku and Mark Sunkett, both doctoral students at the University of Pittsburgh. During this time the Ensemble primarily drew from the music and dances of Ghana, then expanded its repertoire to include Nigeria. In 1986, Shona Sharif became the artistic director of the Ensemble and from 1986 to 1999, under her creative direction and vision of the group (whom the group is now named after) the Ensemble continued to grow and expand its repertoire. The techniques and productions produced include African dance - Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, Guinea, the Congo and South Africa; Afro-Caribbean - Dunham technique and Orisha dances; and theatrical productions - African Fables, Swing Low Sweet in the Mornin’, and most notably Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity. In 2023, the ensemble celebrated 30 years of producing Black Nativity in Pittsburgh.