Anne Arundel County Public Schools Dance Consultant Judi Fey will be honored with one of seven Annie awards by the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County next month for her four-plus decades of service to young people and dance education.
The awards are given annually to highlight the accomplishment of artists, educators, and arts supporters to inspire and to promote the arts and historic preservation in Anne Arundel County.
Fey has worked in Anne Arundel County Public Schools since 1971, and has served as the school system’s dance consultant since 2001. She previously served as a teacher and department chairman at South River High School, and directed the South River Dance Company for 26 years. In her current role she oversees the school system’s dance program, writes and delivers curriculum for the county and state, organizes annual dance festivals, provides dance professional development, and oversees the Middle School and High School Dance Ensembles.
“This is a great honor not only for me, but it is a reflection of the incredible people who work so hard to make our dance program what it is today,” Fey said. “We are so fortunate in Anne Arundel County to have had the support for our efforts to develop a program that is second to none in Maryland and nationally, and I am very proud to be a part of it.”
AACPS’ program includes:
- An elementary component where students receive dance instruction as part of the physical education curriculum. Programs include fifth-grade ballroom dance, dance assemblies, traditional American dance residencies, and work with the Ballet Theatre of Maryland.
- A middle school component where students receive dance instruction as part of the physical education curriculum. Students can also elect to take year-long elective fine arts dance classes as part of the regular school day, and can audition for enrollment in AACPS’ Performing and Visual Arts magnet programs or their school’s Dance Company. Middle School students can also audition for the Middle School Dance Ensemble, which performs at events around the county each year.
- A high school component that allows students to enroll in or audition for seats in no less than 12 classes, including an honors Dance Company course. High school students also have the opportunity to audition for the high school Performing and Visual Arts magnet program, for their own school’s Dance Company, and for the High School Dance Ensemble, which performs at events around the county each year.
“(Judi’s) work is recognized all over, and Anne Arundel County is so fortunate to have her,” Anne Arundel Community College Coordinator of Performing Arts-Dance Lynda Fitzgerald wrote in her recommendation of Fey for the award. “I have had the honor of adjudicating the Maryland State Dance Showcase entries, and it is clear that Anne Arundel County is a dance powerhouse in comparison to some of the other counties. That is a direct reflection of Judi Fey’s work.”
Said Superintendent George Arlotto: “No one has more drive, passion, and dedication to dance education than Judi does. Her tireless efforts to promote the benefits of dance – both inside and outside of the classroom – for all of our students have enhanced their lives and made us a better school system.”
Fey will receive her award on October 14 at the Francis Scott Key Auditorium at St. John’s College in Annapolis.