Awards and Achievements

Presently:

National Dance Education Organization

IL Dance Education Organization

IL Alliance for Health, PE, Recreation and Dance

Formerly:

Chicago Dance and Music Alliance

Sacred Dance Guild

Photo:  Whitney Young High School students performing at the Harris Theatre.

NDEO Blog:  Refresh Your Rehearsal Process with the Elements of Dance, published in February 2025

NDEO Blog:  Why (Even) Veteran Teachers Need a Mentor, published April 2024

NDEO Blog:  Teaching Dance in a K-12 School versus a Dance Studio:  Why Being a K-12 Dance Teacher Was Right for Me, published October 2023

Co-authored an article published in Dance Education in Practice (2022):  Practical Resources for Dance Educators. Using SEL Strategies in the K-12 Dance Classroom:  Practices from Three Chicago Dance Educators

Part of the Chicago Summer Dance Celebration Advisory Committee 2022

NDEO Blog:  We All Need a "Dance Squad", published March 2021

Illinois Arts Learning Standards Initiative - writing new learning standards for dance, adopting the NCCAS (2016)

Nominated for Golden Apple Award (2014)

Star Teacher Award, Chicago Ideas Week (2011)

IL Dance Educator of the Year from IAHPERD (2007)

Educators dance panel for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (2005)

Shenandoah University Alumni of Excellence Award (2003)

Dance Content Advisory Committee for ISBE (2003)

Wrote article in Dance Teacher magazine:  "Dance Fusion" (2003)

Teaching highlighted in an article in Dance Teacher magazine (2002)

Regional winner of Barbie Arts Teacher of the Year (2002)

AT&T Awesome Teacher award (2002)

Photo:  Fifth and sixth grade students in their Dancing Through the Decades performance.

Ingenuity Microgrant (2023-2024)

Ingenuity Dedicated Spaces grant (2022-2024)

Donors Choose grants - over 15 projects funded

Chicago Foundation for Education Grants:  Study group coach, study group member, small grant winner (2002-2020)

ATLAS grant: Arts Teachers Leading Academic Success (2014-2017)

Ingenuity Creative Schools Grant 

Oppenheimer Foundation Teacher Incentive Grants (2001-2016)

Michael Jordan Fundamentals Grant (2003)

IAAA Grant:  Increasing Academic Achievement through the Arts (2002)

Photo:  Fourth grade students performing a piece inspired by Jose Limon's There Is a Time.