Alumna Diane Smagatz-Rawlinson (Dance Education, 1983) has been honored with the 2014 Ruth Page Award, celebrating her dedication to teaching young dancers for nearly 30 years, not only in the discipline of dance but also the importance of community philanthropy and citizenship. Rawlinson is the orchesis director and dance teacher at Wheeling High School in Wheeling, Illinois, and founder of Dance for Life’s Next Generation – an annual student-produced benefit concert.

Said Venetia Stifler, executive and artistic director of the Ruth Page Center for the Arts in Chicago, “As professionals, we all know that dance teaches discipline and self-esteem. But Diane extends that teaching to the next generation of young dancers in a real-world manner, imparting understanding of how each of us is connected and the vital importance of community, philanthropy and citizenship.”

The award will be presented at a private reception in March. The award has been given annually by the Ruth Page Center for the Arts on behalf of the Ruth Page Foundation and the Chicago dance community since 1986. It honors dance icon Ruth Page (1899-1991) and is an opportunity for the center to acknowledge an individual’s or organization’s artistic momentum.