OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University’s Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Arts Management will honor renowned tap dancer Debbi Dee with a Living Treasure in American Dance Award during its upcoming Spring Show next month.
OCU’s American Spirit Dance Company will present the highly-anticipated, annual Spring Show at 8 p.m. March 10 and 11 and 2 and 8 p.m. March 12. The 140-member company will celebrate American dance from Hollywood to Broadway in the high-energy revue. Dee will be honored during the March 12 performance.
“Debbi Dee and I have been on tour together, so I have known her for many years and have shared both the stage and the studio with her,” said OCU Dance Department Chairwoman Jo Rowan. “She is a great performer. She speaks to the audience through her tap shoes with clarity and dynamics and she holds the audience with the same charisma that she brings to her tap classes. I commend her to be one of Americas outstanding tap artists and teachers. She is generous, kind, and a responsible person and I am proud to be her friend.”
Dee is often referred to as a “teacher’s teacher” because of her reputation as a technician and dynamic stylist. She is recognized as a master teacher in the U.S., Japan, France, South America and Canada.
As a guest faculty for the prestigious Tradition in Tap Inc., National Tap Dance Day in Dallas, St. Louis Tap Festival and many other tap events, Dee has shared her knowledge and expertise around the country.
She currently works on convention platforms, instructing teachers and students for many major dance organizations, including Dance Olympus, Dance Masters of America, Florida Dance Masters, Dance Educators of America, Dance Teacher Conference and Dance Makers.
The “Debbi Dee Tap Intensive” is recognized by Dance Teacher as a higher education course for teachers.
Dee has performed professionally as a soloist on Broadway, at Lincoln Center, in Las Vegas and at USO shows, as well as performing on television and in movies. She has held the title of choreographer, dance captain and assistantchoreographer to many Off-Broadway productions as well as at industrials, fashion shows and professional and community theaters.
Dee is a protégé of Henry LeTang and cherishes working side by side with him.
OCU’s world-renowned Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Arts Management was the first in the nation in higher education to emphasize the American dance forms of tap, jazz and musical theater dance and the first to include instruction in rhythm tap.
Spring Show tickets are $20 each. To purchase tickets or for more information, call (405) 208-5227.
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