TWU Dance Professor Wins NDA Award

2/14/03

DENTON — Janice LaPointe-Crump, professor of dance at Texas Woman's University in Denton, has been named the National Dance Association Scholar/Artist for 2003. She will present the NDA Scholar/Artist Lecture at the AAHPERD (American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance) national convention, scheduled April 1-5 in Philadelphia.

Dr. LaPointe-Crump describes her lecture, titled “Dancing Images: One Dialogue ... Different Conversations,” as “one of the more challenging writing assignments I've had. It's a perspective of your own time. It's not as if you're writing your epitaph; it's more of what has passed before your eyes.” She plans to incorporate a slide presentation and audience participation into her lecture.

Criteria for the NDA Scholar/Artist award include having a scholarly record as evidenced by publications, presentations and other creative works, including choreography, extending more than 10 years; be currently producing scholarly materials or other creative works; document an in-depth study of dance; and be capable of communicating ideas and knowledge to selected arts groups as well as to groups in the Alliance disciplines.

Dr. LaPointe-Crump began training in ballet with her mother, a professional dancer, at age 12 and began teaching dance at age 15. She danced professionally in ballet companies and musical theatre in Chicago, and also performed some commercial dance work — all of which paid her tuition at Northwestern University, she said. She earned her doctorate at TWU and has taught at the university for 22 years. She takes pride in having developed courses dealing with issues of gender and empowerment, she said.

Dr. LaPointe-Crump's contemporary ballet and jazz choreography has been staged at colleges, universities and at arts magnet high schools in Texas and in other states. She also has been involved in the Denton Community Theatre and the Dallas Dance Council, and is coordinating a national conference on dance pedagogy in January 2004.

Dr. LaPointe-Crump is the third TWU faculty member to receive the NDA Scholar/Artist award. Aileene Lockhart, former dean of the College of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, won the award in 1986; and Penelope Hanstein, current chair of the Department of Dance, was the 1995 recipient.

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