Tag: dt awards

Letter From the Editor: Safe Stretching, Standout Teachers…and More This March

March brings fresh, springlike momentum into the studio, so this month’s DT+ stories highlight thoughtful, joyful teaching. First up, we’re diving into a timely conversation on safe stretching practices—taking a closer look at how flexibility is taught and how we can better protect dancers’ long-term health without sacrificing artistry.  March is also your chance to […]

Letter From the Editor: Come Celebrate Illustrious Dance Educators at the 2025 Dance Teacher Awards

Rarely do we, as busy dance educators, get the chance to connect with our colleagues. But on Tuesday, October 7, you’ll have the opportunity to not only network with your peers but also celebrate four incredible dance luminaries—Lori Belilove, Roger Montoya, Dianne Walker, and Sylvia Waters—at the 2025 Dance Teacher Awards.  Click here to RSVP […]

Announcing the Winners of the 2025 Dance Teacher Awards!

The Dance Teacher Awards provide an important opportunity to recognize dance educators who are making a mark in the field. Since the awards’ inception in 2003, the long list of honorees has grown to include luminaries like Judith Jamison, Jacques d’Amboise, Kay Mazzo and Risa Steinberg, and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. This year, we’re excited […]

2025 Dance Teacher Award Honoree Sylvia Waters Has Inspired Early-Career Dancers to Tap Into their Humanity

When one thinks of the legendary dancer Sylvia Waters, excellence, poise, and artistry are among the first attributes that come to mind. But in the classroom, her heart, brilliance, and spirit are what have elevated and inspired thousands of dancers. Selected by Alvin Ailey himself to join Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and later to […]

2025 Dance Teacher Award Honoree Roger Montoya Uplifts Students Through Mentorship

Roger Montoya believes teaching dance helps students gain lifelong skills centered in the creative development of the mind, body, and spirit. His organization, Moving Arts Española, serves the rural communities that make up his native northern New Mexico—areas hit particularly hard by the opioid crisis and where a large percentage of residents live in poverty. […]

2025 Dance Teacher Award Honoree Dianne Walker Has Devoted Her Life to Nurturing Tap’s Next Generations

“I’m kind of going to go off script for a minute,” Dianne Walker says within the first minute of our interview. With a chuckle, she adds, “Like I needed to preface that.” For a teacher who is as beloved worldwide for sharing stories as she is for sharing steps, it’s no surprise that she’s eager […]

2025 Dance Teacher Award Honoree Lori Belilove Uses Isadora Duncan’s Legacy to Engage Students’ Artistic Imaginations

“I love mistakes and confusion before we get to clarity and precision,” says dancer, choreographer, and dance teacher Lori Belilove. For her, the point of teaching dance is to “tap into the student’s artistic imagination.” Belilove is a direct heir of Isadora Duncan, whose students were Belilove’s teachers. Since 1989, she has been artistic director […]

Letter From the Editor: Honoring Dance Education’s Brightest Lights

Each summer, Dance Teacher celebrates educators who have made a profound impact in the field. Our 2025 Dance Teacher Award recipients are trailblazers, community-builders, and legacy-keepers whose influence in their students’ lives—and in the larger dance world—is deep and far-reaching. Stay tuned for the official announcement of this year’s honorees later this month, as well […]