Tapas Das in Blogs

Celebrating Excellence: Highlights From the 2025 Dance Teacher Awards

On Tuesday, October 7, four incredible dance educators—Lori Belilove, Roger Montoya, Dianne Walker, and Sylvia Waters—received their well-deserved flowers for their unwavering commitment to dance education at the 2025 Dance Teacher Awards ceremony, which took place at The Loft at City Winery in New York City.

The unforgettable celebration—made possible with the support of sponsors 92NY Dance Education Laboratory, Starbound, Connor Dance, and Oklahoma City University’s Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment—was filled with heartwarming moments and powerful reflections.

The memorable and inspiring quotes from each of the honorees’ speeches moved the room and reminded us all why dance and those who teach it deserve their moment in the spotlight.

Lori Belilove

Photo by Emma Zordan.

“I have learned a lot about what it takes to be a good teacher by studying with some of the best, because they have enriched me so. Wonderful teachers leave you flying out of the classroom feeling exhilarated, and that you have given and received, and that you are growing.”

“[Isadora] approached students this way: ‘Listen to the music of your soul. How, when listening, do you not feel an inner self-awakening deep within you? That it is by its strength that your head is lifted, that your arms are raised, that you’re walking slowly towards the light?’ To me this quote is the window into what I needed to understand the depth and power Duncan dancers can gather.”

Roger Montoya

Photo by Emma Zordan.

“We toil every day, and we don’t think about being singled out, because it’s more about teamwork than anything to pull this kind of work together for the future.”

“Masterful mentorship is incredibly important, and I would be remiss to not call out some of those who have inspired me: Paul Taylor, Louis Falco, Jennifer Muller, Ana Marie Forsythe, Denise Jefferson, Mary Jane Eisenberg, and my dear and beloved parents, Jose and Dorotea Montoya. Many of those names are no longer with us, but the tradition and the inspiration to cultivate a new generation through this honorable work of arts and creativity is so, so important.”

Dianne Walker

Photo by Emma Zordan.

“As we came into the room, there was a commonality we all shared, especially among the honorees. We don’t do it for the accolades. We don’t do it for the awards and for the celebrations. We don’t often even think about that in the course of the work that we do. So it’s really humbling when someone takes the time to say ‘Thank you for what you’ve done.’ ”

“…the greats who came before me, the masters who showed us the way: Mildred Kennedy Bradic, Leon Collins, the Slyde Brothers (Jimmy Mitchell and Jimmy Slyde), the Nicholas Brothers, Honi Coles, Cholly Atkins, Buster Brown, Tina Pratt, Marion Coles, The Silver Belles, Germaine Ingram, and all those plenty of good women out of Philadelphia. I was fortunate to have been guided by the best in the business, and I’ve tried to share that and pass that on in the same way it was so generously given to me.”

Sylvia Waters

Photo by Emma Zordan.

“There’s that spiritual connection, that teacher–student relationship built on trust, respect, and open communication—that transference of knowledge, guidance, and mentorship. Teaching has led me down many paths, each with new and enriching experiences, leaving a lasting impact on my life. As my friend Judith Jamison said, ‘Dance is bigger than the physical body. Think bigger than that.’ ”

“All teachers, past and present, I share this award with them.”

Nominations for the 2026 Dance Teacher Awards Are Now Open

Be sure to nominate your favorite dance teachers via this form by Monday, March 31, 2026. You can also email rrodrigues@dancemedia.com with questions.

See you next year!

Sponsored by:

Tapas Das: Tapas Das, a young entrepreneur of our times started TWIST N TURNS in 2005. A person who is kind, generous, creative and down to earth wanted to start his own one of a kind dance academy. According to him, Dance is a language of movements that involves space, time and the human body. He was born and grew up in Kolkata, the cultural hub of India. Being appreciated in the field of dance all his life, he is extremely talented. He has been dancing since the age of four. Once he finished his high school, he learned jazz/modern and contemporary dance. His horizons were broadened even more when he started dancing Bollywood with Beat Busters for 4 years, which then was the most upcoming dance crew in Kolkata. After that exposure, he studied how to be a dance teacher, which later started helping him impart his knowledge about dance. Thus, in 2005, with the help of family and friends, he started TWIST N TURNS. Starting with a mere number of 40 students, today TWIST N TURNS currently has over 500 students. Over the time Tapas has taught and performed all over the country. He has performed in cities such as Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Jhansi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Udaipur etc. He has been an active participant in the Salsa India Congress in the cities of Bangalore and Bombay, and he has also visited various International Salsa Congresses in Europe, namely in Berlin ,Singapore, Hong Kong,Dubai. He is been also trained recently at Broadway Dance Center (New York), Alvin Alley (New York) and Steps on Broadway (New York). He is not only a dancer or teacher. He is a successful choreographer and has coordinated various shows without difficulty in our country. His leadership skills are exceptional, thus he is where he stands today. His aim in life would be to become a dance educator. He wants to share his tremendous knowledge in the right way to the right people. He is also, simultaneously running other brands like Zumba Kolkata, Bollywood Studio ArtistWala.com and India International Dance Institute.