The Dance Council of North Texas has announced the six individuals who will be honored at this year’s Dance Council Honors. The awards celebrate the “excellence, perseverance and creativity” of the winners and will be presented at a ceremony on Sept. 30 at the Dallas Black Dance Theatre in the Arts District.

Keep reading for more on each winner from the Dance Council:

Mary McLarry Bywaters Award for Lifetime Contribution to Dance – Tracy Jordan DCNT is thrilled to award its highest honor to Tracy Jordan, executive director of the Dallas Summer Musicals High School Musical Theatre Awards. Tracy is Director of Production and Operations for Dallas Summer Musicals and participates in developing touring shows for the largest non-profit arts group in the southwest.   A lifelong showman, Tracy’s career in the entertainment industry includes national and regional musical theatre tours, circus, cruise ships, dinner theater, cabaret, night clubs, commercials, voice overs and industrial shows from coast to coast. He was featured in Broadway productions such as 42^nd Street, Sugar Babies, Jesus Christ Super Star and Fiddler On The Roof.   Tracy’s creative and choreography credits include Funny Girl for Lyric Stage in Irving, TX , Cole for the Lyric Opera of Dallas, tap choreography for Donald O’Connor’s appearance at the Las Vegas Hilton, Singin’ in the Rain in Las Vegas, Un Ballo en Maschera for the Ft. Worth Opera and numerous industrial shows.

Natalie Skelton Award for Artistic Excellence – Teresa Espinosa Teresa Espinosa is a Dallas native and alumna of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts who is changing the shape of dance in Las Vegas and Hollywood. Fifteen years ago, armed with a dance degree from California Institute of the Arts, Santa Cruz, Teresa committed herself to a career in contemporary dance and the entertainment industry.   Today, Teresa, a petit dynamo, is a nationally acclaimed hip-hop choreographer, dancer and teacher. She is also a star member of the dance crew “Beat Freaks,” which appeared on Season 3 of America’s Best Dance Crew. She has been assistant choreographer and dancer for Miley Cyrus, Brittany Spears and Janet Jackson tours. Jackson’s HBO Special, “The Velvet Rope -Live in Madison Square Garden” drew over 15 million viewers and received an Emmy nomination for its choreography. This past March she was the featured guest artist at the DCNT’s 16^th annual Dance Planet two-day dance festival.

Mary Warner Award for Service to Dance – Kay Daiziel Kay Daiziel is recognized as a successful entrepreneur, owner of Artful Dancewear in north Dallas on Central Expressway, and for her “can do” style as a businesswoman. She is a dance aficionado and operates a dance friendly business. Daiziel has been in the dancewear retail business since 1984. In 2003 she opened Artful Dancewear LLC in Dallas and is now one of the top dance suppliers in north Texas. Kay’s support for dance teachers, professionals and students is amazing. Her reputation is built on exemplary customer care. Artful Dancewear is a company that area teachers depend upon for giving their students friendly, honest advice and guidance.   In particular DCNT appreciates her business support for DCNT and its programs through the generous Artful Dancewear dance teacher development scholarship and advertising in our publications.

Larry White Dance Educator Award – Gladys Keeton and Yvonne Lovell Gladys Keeton is an associate professor of dance at Texas Woman’s University. She has taught and inspired numerous Texas dance educators, nurturing their careers for more than forty years. She is celebrated for her excellent, inspiring and innovative dance teaching on the university level and for her service to dance and arts education in Texas.     Gladys has a knack for opening doors to help others view dance in innovative ways. She transforms the lives of colleagues in her professional development seminars and has been dedicated to strengthening dance education standards in Texas and across the U.S. Gladys creates opportunities for her students to work with dancers of all ages and levels, including those who are mentally and physically challenged.   The immediate past president of the National Dance Association, Gladys’ contributions to fine arts dance education is national in scope. In 2011 she received the David K. Brace award from the Texas Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance. Gladys directs TWU’s community dance program. Begun in 1976 her ensemble, TWU International Dance Company, was the first university ensemble in the metroplex dedicated to performing authentic ethnic dances.   Another inspiring and magical dance educator is Yvonne Lovell. Yvonne is commended by the DCNT for her years of inspiring young students and helping them blossom into strong dancers and focused performers. Yvonne, born and raised in London, began performing on stage at the age of six and won All England gold medal for tap dancing by the age of nine.   Yvonne did both fashion and photo modeling and performed in A Midsummer Night’s Dreams for two seasons at Regent’s Park. From ages twelve to seventeen she did children’s television and Summer People at Pembrook Theater in Croydon. Earning enough money for a trip to the United States, Yvonne visited her aunt living in Terrell, TX. There she met Robert “Buddy” Lovell and her life changed.   Since 1980 Yvonne has owned and directed her studio, Stage Door, in Mesquite, TX. The studio serves the neighborhood and surrounding residential areas. She is certified with the prestigious British Association of Teachers of Dancing as well as Dance Educators of America. Her studio has been involved with The Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker and Garland Summer Musicals.

Texas Tap Legend — Laura Price Laura Price is a creative, rhythmical, challenging tap dancer and teacher. Known for her truthful, genuine and generous nature, Laura is an exemplary dancer, teacher, choreographer, studio owner and a past president of Irving Ballet Company. She began her dance training in Dallas at three years old and grew to perform with several local civic dance and theatre companies. She danced in such productions as Anything Goes, 42nd Street, Whoopee, Peter and the Wolf, A Chorus Line, The Nutcracker, and Morton Gould’s “Tap Dance Concerto”.  Laura has more than forty years of teaching in the area and is currently teaching tap at Tuzer Dancenter in Richardson and Forcher’s Dance Center in Irving. Laura has danced with Rhythm Junkies, and now performs with iNStep