You’re Invited to the 2020 Dance Teacher Awards!
August 18, 2020

Missed the 2020 Dance Teacher Awards? Watch them on-demand here.

The Dance Teacher Awards are here, and this year we’re going virtual. The upside of a virtual awards ceremony? We can invite all of you!

Though we’ll be in a new setting (Zoom!), the purpose of the Dance Teacher Awards remains the same: celebrating outstanding educators for their contributions to our field.


This year, we’ll be honoring six extraordinary teachers: Stephanie and Bo Spassoff, who have shaped The Rock School with kindness and compassion into one of the country’s top ballet schools; Patricia Dye, a beloved high school teacher in Brooklyn who teaches life and leadership skills alongside dance; Deborah Damast, who leads the next generation of dance educators at NYU Steinhardt; Kim Black, who has found her calling nurturing Burlington, North Carolina’s tiniest dancers; and, finally, the inimitable Wendy Whelan, who will be receiving our Award of Distinction.

Whelan, in her typical spirit of generosity, will be giving all attendees a special treat: a mini class focused on what she learned from the teachers who shaped her—including the late, great Willy Burmann. You’ll also have a chance to ask Whelan about her multifaceted career as a dancer, a collaborator, a teacher and, now, associate artistic director of New York City Ballet, in an intimate Q&A.

And, for the first time this year, we’ll be raising money for a cause that’s close to our hearts. All proceeds from tickets sold (only 20 dollars!) will fund the new Dance Teacher Scholarship at MOVE|NYC|, which will be going to the talented rising high school senior Kelsey Lewis. (You can read more about MOVE|NYC|’s incredible mission in our May/June cover story!)

The 2020 Dance Teacher Awards will take place on Zoom on September 16 at 6 pm ET. Get tickets here—we can’t wait to see you there!

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