Experiencing Dance: From Student to Dance Artist

Marty Sprague is a dance educator with over 30 years of experience. She has taught all levels, from early childhood through higher education. She recently retired from teaching dance at the Juanita Sanchez Educational Complex, a high school in Providence, Rhode Island. She has also been an associate professor at Brown University and an associate professor and clinical supervisor for Roger Williams University's education department. Sprague has been involved in program and curriculum development, professional development, policy development, and advocacy support for arts education in Rhode Island. She holds an MA in dance education from the Teachers College of Columbia University and a BFA in dance from Boston Conservatory. She has written and reviewed dance standards at the district, state, and national levels. She was honored by Dance Teacher magazine with the 2004 K-12 Dance Teacher Award and by National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) as the 2005 K-12 Dance Educator of the Year. She is coauthor, with Helene Scheff and Susan McGreevy-Nichols, of Building Dances, Building More Dances, Dance About Anything, and Exploring Dance Forms and Styles.

Helene Scheff (1939-2023) was a registered dance educator who taught dance in the private and public sectors beginning in 1960. She coauthored five other books for dance educators, focusing on helping educators incorporate dance forms in their classes, and was a founding member for the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO). A graduate of the famed High School of Performing Arts in New York City, she was a dancer with the Joffrey Ballet. Scheff received numerous awards as an educator, including the Outstanding Registered Dance Educator Award and the Meritorious Service Award from Rhode Island Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (RIAHPERD). She was named the RIAHPERD Dance Teacher of the Year in 1996 and was honored as an EDA Outstanding Professional in 1996. She received the President's Honor Award from RIAHPERD in 1997 and the Presidential Citation from National Dance Association (NDA) in 1998. She was awarded the Dance Legacy Award by the Rhode Island Dance Alliance in 2002.

Susan McGreevy-Nichols is the executive director of the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO). She taught at Roger Williams Middle School in Providence, Rhode Island, from 1974 to 2002. She was the founder and director of the urban school's nationally recognized dance program, in which more than 300 of the school's 900 students elected to participate. She is a founding member of the NDEO and a former treasurer and board member; she served as president before becoming the executive director. McGreevy-Nichols is the coauthor of Building Dances, Building More Dances, Dance About Anything, and Exploring Dance Forms and Styles.

Kelly Berick launched the Akron School for the Arts dance program at Firestone High School in Akron, Ohio, and she has been director for 27 years. She has served on the writing teams for the Ohio Department of Education's Fine Arts Standards and Fine Arts Model Curriculum as well as on the boards of Ohio Alliance for Arts Education and OhioDance. She received the Dance Educator of the Year award from the Ohio Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (OAHPERD) in 2001, the Contributions to the Field of Dance Education award from OhioDance in 2013, and the NDEO President's Award as part of the K-12 Mentoring Committee in 2021. Berick holds BA and MEd degrees in dance from Columbia College and Temple University, respectively. She is licensed in K-12 dance and career-technical education in Ohio.