2018 National Awards

Lynnette Young Overby | Lifetime Achievement Award

Dr. Lynnette Overby is a Professor of Theatre and Dance at the University of Delaware (UD), and Deputy Director of the Community Engagement Initiative. She is the author of over 40 publications including twelve edited or authored books. “Public Scholarship in Dance “ was published in the fall of 2015, and “Undergraduate Research In Dance” will be published in late 2018. Dr. Overby also has a record of over 100 major presentations and performances. She is a strong believer in interdisciplinary education, and collaboration. She has created four “Performing History” arts-based research projects with English Professor, P. Gabrielle Foreman and a host of artists. “Sketches: The Life of Harriet E. Wilson in Dance, Poetry and Music” premiered in 2012. Their collaboration continued in 2014 with the premiere of “Dave the Potter” a multidisciplinary work designed to honor the history and creativity of an exceptional enslaved potter and poet, David Drake. In 2016, she produced a multidisciplinary performance/educational project that spanned the countries of the United States and South Africa titled, “Same Story” Different Countries." Her 2018 arts-based research project is titled “Women of Consequence, Ambitious, Ancillary and Anonymous." Overby served as one of 10 dance educators and 40 arts educators who developed the National Core Arts Standards.



Read Dr. Overby's Conference 2018 Speech 

Mila Parrish | Outstanding Dance Educator (Higher Education)

Dr. Mila Parrish is an Associate Professor and the Director of Dance Education at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. An active scholar, Dr. Parrish’s research has established new trends in dance technology pedagogy, somatics, curricula design and teacher training in the digital arena. Her publications appear in the Journal of Dance Education, Research in Dance Education, Arts Education Policy Review and the International Handbook of Research in Arts Education, among others. Dr. Parrish currently serves on the North Carolina Dance Education Organization as founding President; the dance and the Child International Organization as the USA Newsletter Editor, and the National Dance Education Organization as the Director of Research. Additionally, she serves as Special Guest Faculty at ADF. Prior to her career in higher education, Parrish was a professional dancer and choreographer in NYC, performing with most notably, the Jean Erdman Theater of the Open Eye, with whom she toured nationally. Parrish has offered over 100 professional development courses, seminars and workshops throughout the world. She as established numerous community engagement initiatives including; Dancers Connect community dance program, iDance a digital delivery system of dance instruction using videoconferencing technologies, Embodied History reconstruction initiatives, as well as spearheading professional development programs: Hip Hop for Hope, Evolving Dance through Connectivity, Movement of Inspired Minds.

Dale Schmid | Outstanding Leadership

Dr. Dale Schmid is the Visual & Performing Arts Coordinator for New Jersey’s Department of Education. He is a former President and Past President of NDEO and served three terms as Interim Past-President. He is the lead development consultant for the Dance Entry Level Teacher Assessment (DELTA) and is part of the leadership group spearheading its national implementation. Additionally, he is a member of the editorial board of Journal of Movement Arts Literacy; and helped write the National Core Arts Standards; NDEO’s Standards for a K-12 Model Program: Opportunities to Learn in Dance Arts Education; Professional Teaching Standards for Dance Arts; and Standards for Learning & Teaching Dance in the Arts: Ages 5-18. Dr. Schmid is also President-Elect of the State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education; Project Facilitator for the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards; Chief Program Officer for New Jersey Department of Education’s multimillion dollar Title I Arts Integration Pilot; and member of the governance committee of Arts Ed NJ (formerly New Jersey Arts Education Partnership). Prior leadership includes the executive steering committees of the national Arts Education Partnership; the States Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards: Arts Education Consortium; and as a member of the Board of Commissioners of NJN Public Broadcasting Authority.