Maxine DeBruyn, who is the Dorothy Wiley De Long Professor Emerita of Dance at Hope College, has been elected to the presidency of the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO).
She recently began a year's service as president-elect, and will begin a two-year term as president in June. Her four-year commitment will conclude with a year's active service as immediate past president during 2009-10.
Her election is the second major appointment to a national or international dance education organization's leadership within recent months. In July she was appointed to a three-year term as a member-at-large on the Executive Committee of the Advisory Board of Dance and the Child International (daCi).
DeBruyn was a member of the Hope faculty from 1965 until retiring this past spring. In retirement she continues to teach at the college.
The two appointments continue her active involvement in professional associations and dance education nationally and internationally. She is a past member of the Counseil International de la Danse, UNESCO, Paris; past vice chair of the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs; past president of the Midwest District of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD); and past director of the National Association of Schools of Dance. She had also previously served on the boards of both NDEO and daCi.
She has received numerous honors for her extensive involvement in dance education. She has received multiple service awards through the years from the Midwest District of the AAHPERD; a service and leadership award from AAHPERD in 1987; and the "Honor Award" from Michigan Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance in 2000. She received a Presidential Citation from the National Dance Association for dance assessment in 1992. In 1989, her work in the arts was cited in the U.S. Congressional Record and in a Joint Concurrent Resolution from the State of Michigan Legislature. In October 2004, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Michigan Dance Council in cooperation with the National Dance Education Organization.
DeBruyn pioneered the college's department of dance with a single course. From that first class, the program grew into a department in 1974 and a major in 1984. She chaired the dance program from its beginning through the 2004-05 school year, and was also head cheerleading coach from 1968 to 1996.
The National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) works to advance knowledge in the field of dance education, encourages research and practical application, and promotes high-quality instruction in dance arts education. NDEO serves populations including early childhood and pre-K, K-12 public and private education (magnet, performing arts schools, and public and private schools offering dance in school curricula); higher education (colleges, universities and professional preparation programs); private schools of dance; dance for the differently abled; dance for senior citizens and the elderly; and dance for an ethnically diverse country. The NDEO works closely with numerous federal and state government agencies, and arts and education associations, to support the agenda of U.S. education in research, curriculum, standards and assessments; certification and licensure programs; and professional development and teacher training.
Dance and the Child International (daCi) is a non-profit organization that promotes the development of dance for children and youth on a global scale. Established in 1982, daCi has members in more than 20 countries. The group's aims include developing opportunities for young people throughout the world to experience dance as creators, performers and spectators; supporting awareness of social and cultural awareness in dance; encouraging and making available research into all aspects of dance that relate to young people; advocating for including dance in education and community programs; and facilitating exchange and collaboration among members at national, regional and international levels.