Honors—Continued frompage 16.


she appeared at CasaManaña,North ShoreMusic Theater and with ContemporaryDance/FortWorth. Elizabeth said, “my true passion resides in dance education, training and choreography.”


ElizabethGillaspy


With aMFAin Ballet from Texas ChristianUniversity and a Texas secondary teach- ing certificate,Gillaspy estab- lished the high school fine arts dance programat ArlingtonHeightsHigh School in FortWorth then joined TCU’s faculty. Professor, SusanK. Roberts, revealed thatGillaspy’s com- mitment as an artist-educator is evident in theway she honors the ballet “tradition while bringing forward teach- ing paradigms to reflect”


changes in the art form.Her choreography directly challenges classicismrequiringmasterful pointeworkwithin a non-literal poetic narrative.Herworks have been performed by theOrlando Ballet, the International Ballet Competition regionally and inter- nationally her ballets have been staged in Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and France.


Elizabeth’s ballet pedagogy has been shared at state and national conventions, especially for Ballet CORPS, Intl.. Elizabeth is the past president. In 2006 Elizabeth received theDance Educator of the Year awards fromTAHPERDand theNDA, and the TCU College of FineArtsAward for Teaching Excellence.According to Li Chou Cheng, TCUBallet professor, Elizabeth has the ability “to open up communication between professor and students and stu- dents and professionals. “


ChristianAlanWaits,mas- ter photographer, is the 2016 recipient of theMary WarnerAward for Service toDance.Waits is past presi- dent of theDallas Professional Photographers Association andwas named a Master of Photography by the Professional Photographers of America in 1992.


ChrisWaits


In 1971, Chris became fasci- natedwith photography when he began publishing stories for his junior high


school newspaper and then The Oak Cliff Tribune. Covering sports and evenweddings at a young age, his reputation grew. In 1981 Chris graduatedwith high honors fromEast Texas State University armedwith a degree in commercial photography.Over his careerWaits has been onmovie sets, shot video fromhelicop- ters, andworked for Sam’s Club, Sony andGaedeke Properties. Today he is the photographer for theDallas SummerMusicals.


Whowould have known, commented Chris, that “dancewould influencemy life somuch.”Waits first became involvedwith dance covering his daughter’s recitals.MaryWarner urged himto


page 16 August-October 2016 www.thedancecouncil.org


try his hand videoing and photographing performances and events.When too ill towork, he took over some of her assign- ments. That led himto photograph and donate his beautifulwork forDCNT programs like TasteDance Addison Style,Honors Celebrations and the annualNational TapDance Festivals at Fair Park forwhich he designed the programs and prepared posters of the tap dance troupes.He served on theDCNT Board ofDirectors.


Mary SixRupert


Starting her dance career at age 2 and teaching at her mother’s studio at 15, this year’sBuster Cooper Tap Legend isMary Six Rupert. Fromthe very beginningMary knewshe would be a dancer. Part of her successwas learning the dancework ethic fromher mother,Nita Braun, aMary BywatersAward recipient. She attended SMUmajoring in dance butNewYork beck- oned. “Fromhermother’s studio”,writesGwenOwens,


“Mary’s career has taken her across theworld to great success.”


As amember of the Rockettes, Rupert found that she loved working in a groupwhere total cohesion is essential. She had a knack for visualizing thewhole shape or pattern of a dance not just her place in the line.Mary became an invaluable emergency and rotating swing dancerwhich grewinto being the assistant choreographer for the Rockettes over her 13 yearswith the com- pany. Touringwith the Rockette shows and Broadwaymusicals, Mary’s life always included teachingmaster classes and rehears- ing newdancers into various productions. Among themusicals she danced inwere 42nd Street, Gypsy, Can Can, Singing in the Rain and La Cage aux Folles. In all these shows shewas the dance cap- tain and/or choreographer’s assistant.


Thenwas an opportunity for Rupert to rehearse and assist Harald Nicholas of the epochal Nicholas Brothers. A deep friend- ship evolvedwhen theyworked together inMy One and Only. She would rent a studiowhere they tradedmoves and rehearsed back stage before every performance. Later they danced together at the London Palladium.


After retiring fromthe professionalworld, life has come full cir- cle. Today Rupert is professor of tap and jazz atWagner College where she has developed Tap Dancing Hands Down, ameans for peoplewho cannot stand or have balance problems to tap. Co-founding Legacy 36, LLC, an organization celebrating preci- sion dance and thewomenwho performthis difficult genre, Mary produces and choreographs shows featuring retired Rockettes.


Tickets to the two fabulous evenings are on sale in early August. Different companieswill performeach evening. Go to the DCNT website,www.thedancecouncil.org formore information and links to purchasing tickets and registering for excitingmaster classeswith the Honors recipients.


Janice LaPointe-Crump is a freelance writer; Co-chair of the DCNT Honors Committee and Professor Emerita TexasWoman’sUniversity Dance.


DANCE!NORTHTEXAS a publication of the dance council of north texas vol. 19 • no. 3


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