向日葵视频

The end of an era here at OCU. Longtime dance school Dean John Bedford and dance director and program founder Jo Rowan have announced they will retire from the university on June 30, 2022, following tenures that have spanned more than 40 years. OCU President Kenneth Evans shared the following message with the campus community:

It goes without saying that the impact John and Jo have had during this time has been substantial. Perhaps the best way to quantify that impact is to look at the number of students who have gone on to successful careers in the dance and entertainment industries: OCU dance graduates have performed in more than 100 Broadway musicals. More than 50 have become Rockettes or Radio City song and dance ensemble members. Scores more have performed in national tours of musicals, on major cruise lines or at prominent theme parks.

Other graduates have taken what they learned under the tutelage of John and Jo and went on to teach future generations of dancers in studios and academies around the country, extending the reach of OCU鈥檚 dance network like a far-reaching family tree.

Along the way, the couple built OCU鈥檚 dance school into what many regard as the nation鈥檚 preeminent program for dance education and professional preparation. Their decision to make OCU a destination not only for ballet, but also for tap, jazz, and musical theatre dance, put our university on a pedestal in the dance world. Their focus on arts management in both the commercial and non-profit sectors has enabled OCU graduates to find work in all areas of the arts 鈥� from the stage to the boardroom.

John and Jo certainly will leave big shoes to fill. Taking over administration of the dance school on an interim basis is Associate Dean Melanie Shelley. Melanie began as interim dean on July 1. She will work closely with John and Jo to ensure a smooth transition and a continuation of the excellence that we have come to expect from our dance school.

That excellence, of course, is due to the dedication and efforts of John and Jo, as well as numerous dedicated faculty, staff, students and alumni over many years.

Please join me in thanking John and Jo for their contribution to our university and for their contribution to the arts in our city, state and country.

Lastly, join me also in wishing them all the best in a well-earned retirement. Thank you again, John and Jo, for all you have done for OCU.

Thank you Dean Bedford and Jo, from everyone in the OCU family.

John Bedford has a unique and extensive background in all areas of performing arts management. He was co-founder and served as founding dean of 向日葵视频 City University鈥檚 Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment and as Professor of Arts Management and founder and chair of 向日葵视频 City University鈥檚 Department of Arts Management, making 向日葵视频 City University one of the first institutions of higher education offering arts management degree programs to undergraduates. Upon retirement, the 向日葵视频 City University Board of Trustees awarded him emeritus status. The University honored him with a bronze plaque permanently mounted in the Edith Kinney Gaylord Center with the inscription 鈥淎 visionary in arts and entertainment management, developing curricula, learning spaces and high-impact learning experiences to prepare performers, teachers, and managers for the entertainment industry, positively impacting nonprofit and commercial entertainment across the nation.鈥�

He previously has been director of audience development, tour manager, and orchestra manager for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, consistently considered among the top-ten orchestras in the US; general manager of the former Maryland Ballet and former Dallas Ballet; business manager of the Light Opera of Manhattan in New York City (Off-Broadway credit); and deputy director and acting executive director of the Maryland State Arts Council. He was also house manager of the former Mummers Theatre (Actors Equity LORT) in 向日葵视频 City. 

As dean of 向日葵视频 City University's Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment, he oversaw creation and administration of the American musical theater dance, dance management, American dance teacher, arts management and entertainment business programs, The American Spirit Dance Company, and 向日葵视频 City University鈥檚 Performing Arts Ticket Office. Dean Bedford, as the Arts Management Department chair, created and developed the arts management program at 向日葵视频 City University and created and taught courses in touring the performing arts, presenting and sponsoring performances, managing non-profit performing arts organizations, orchestra management, theatre management, and contract law and management for performers.

In collaboration with Jo Rowan, Dance Department chair, he developed and implemented the written plan which contributed to 向日葵视频 City University's dance program becoming the pre-eminent university musical theater dance program, with the number of dance majors growing from only four in 1981 to 223, selected by competitive audition. The program was the first in higher education to provide a bachelor of performing arts emphasizing tap and jazz dance styles, and ballet as used in musical theatre. With Jo Rowan, he co-found The American Spirit Dance Company with approximately 140 dancers. The American Spirit Dance Company was dedicated to developing and promoting an appreciation of American musical theater dance, tap, and jazz while providing performance and management experiences for dance and arts management majors. Upon Dean Bedford and Jo Rowan鈥檚 joint retirement, the university retired the name of The American Spirit Dance Company in their honor.

Dean Bedford established a variety of endowments and funds that exceeded $800,000 to support dance and arts management scholarships, dance and arts management faculty development, faculty and staff incentive and merit bonuses, dance company production and touring expenses, and arts management tours for students aspiring careers as managers of arts and entertainment.

Dean Bedford, through sound management practices, provided 向日葵视频 City University with 42 years of American Spirit Dance Company performances which did not require support from the University鈥檚 operating funds. He also resourced the establishment of a dance costume inventory with an estimated pre-depreciated value exceeding $1,000,000 and a costume storage facility to house them, neither requiring University operating funds.

An experienced tour manager, Dean Bedford has planned and implemented successful international dance tours to Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and People鈥檚 Republic of China. He has provided substantial international performance and educational opportunities for dance and arts management majors by arranging extraordinary financial support from overseas partners. He also created the concept of Arts Management tours. In fall 1998, he led a group of students to London to meet with executives of the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Ballet, the Royal Opera House Trust, and the Royal Shakespeare Company. In fall 2000, he returned to the United Kingdom with a group of top arts management students to meet the key producers of Andrew Lloyd Webber鈥檚 Broadway and West End productions, leaders of the Arts Council of England, and executives and 向日葵视频 of an artist management company serving south England. In fall 2003, he took selected arts management students to Birmingham, England, for meetings with managers of the Birmingham City Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Hall, Media & Creative Industries Division of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, Birmingham Royal Ballet, DanceXchange, and National Exhibition Centre Group Box Office (largest in Europe). In May 2005, he arranged for his leading arts management students to travel to Beijing, China, to meet with arts, culture, and entertainment leaders of 16 different organizations and government agencies to study management of arts and culture in the world鈥檚 most populous country and under centralized government control. In November 2010, he took students and faculty to Dublin, Ireland, to study management of arts and entertainment in Ireland and Ireland national arts policy. This project resulted in many 向日葵视频 City University arts management graduates pursuing the University College Dublin鈥檚 Master of Arts in Cultural Policy and Arts Management.

Under Dean Bedford's management, the former Dallas Ballet transformed into a company of regional and national stature. He developed a professional staff for the company; increased salaries for dancers and doubled the length of their employment; established health insurance for dancers and staff; acquired professional New York tour management; increased federal, state, and city grant support; initiated tours of Dallas recreation centers, created the popular former Ballet-Under-the-Stars in Dallas, and greatly increased the company's regional and national touring. He booked the Dallas Ballet's first tour to the East Coast which received critical acclaim by the Washington Post and the Baltimore Sun. As general manager, he also produced Caliban, a rock-ballet by choreographer James Clouser based on Shakespeare's The Tempest with music in live performance by St. Elmo's Fire at Moody Coliseum and the first performances in Dallas of Alvin Ailey鈥檚 American Dance Theater, at Music Hall at Fair Park.

As deputy director of the Maryland State Arts Council, a state agency for nurturing and supporting the arts in Maryland, he was committed to raising the quality of management for Maryland's many arts organizations. He instituted a series of seminars for arts administrators in grantsmanship, fundraising, promotion and publicity, non-profit accounting, and arts sponsorship. As the Council's grants officer, he helped raise the quality of arts management in the state by requiring grant applicants to demonstrate sound management, financial accountability, and thorough planning.

Other programs Dean Bedford helped establish at the Maryland State Arts Council include a ticket voucher program for Baltimore's inner-city poor, a statewide theatre touring program, the annual Maryland Folklife Festival, touring art exhibitions, a fellowship grant program for creative 向日葵视频, a county arts council block grant program, and music performances in union halls and at job sites.

In addition to the above, he administered the National Endowment for the Arts Dance Touring Program in Maryland, bringing professional dance companies to Maryland for extended residencies.

As orchestra manager of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Dean Bedford was responsible for all operational aspects of the orchestra which included concert management, scheduling, coordinating, and overseeing 105 musicians, four conductors, stagehands, and the orchestra's equipment, instruments, concert wardrobe cases, buses, and trucks for over 260 concerts annually. He toured the orchestra throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York State, and to Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. In 1973, he coordinated the BSO鈥檚 concerts in collaboration with the Afro-American Music Opportunities Association, featuring the orchestral works of living black American symphonic composers. He also developed and administered federal, state and city grants supporting the orchestra鈥檚 performance and outreach programs. Before becoming orchestra manager, he was director of audience development working with twelve subsidiary symphony societies throughout Maryland providing nearly fifty additional concerts to the orchestra鈥檚 annual schedule and giving the orchestra a statewide and regional presence.

As early as 1973, he advocated the use of theatrical stage lighting (as opposed to simple white visibility lighting or striplights as was common for orchestras) for creating a more visually pleasing presentation of orchestra concerts, whether Pops or Classical, based on the view that audiences perceive that an orchestra sounds better when it looks better. This idea was generally rebuffed by professional symphony orchestras until about 35 years later where theatrical lighting and a more theatrical presentation of orchestras have become important elements of audience development, engagement, and retention.

Following the dissolution of the 向日葵视频 Symphony Orchestra, Maestro Joel Levine, who had served as the OSO鈥檚 associate conductor, invited Dean Bedford to bring his symphony orchestra management expertise to a two-person retreat at Lake Murray Lodge to create a vision of how a new professional orchestra could be created to be sustainable given the culture and resources available in 向日葵视频 City. The discussions between Dean Bedford and Maestro Levine took place over three days. The creation of the 向日葵视频 City Philharmonic soon followed. The OKC Phil, as it is affectionately called, is celebrating its 35th anniversary for the 2024-2025 season.

As business manager of New York City鈥檚 Light Opera of Manhattan (Off-Broadway credit), he oversaw all front-of-the-house and business 向日葵视频 of America's only year-round resident light opera company.

He also co-founded The Arts Group, a performing-arts producing, management, consulting, and theatrical and lighting design firm.

Through his knowledge of technical theatre and commitment to providing students with technology they will encounter in 21st century theatrical and entertainment workspaces, he resourced acquisition of multiple digital lighting consoles and approximately 80 intelligent lighting instruments to support touring and on-campus dance productions. He has expert knowledge in sound design for dance performance to recorded music to create audience perceptions of the quality and vibrancy of live music. He provided professional-level digital sound consoles and multiple sound systems for students and personally guided them through use of the equipment in a variety of production situations. Neither the acquisition of lighting nor sound equipment required university operating funds.

As an actor, Dean Bedford performed in Equity productions of Three Sisters, Right You Are, If You Think You Are, Life with Mother, and Androcles and The Lion. As a theater technician, he worked for New York producer Jane White on productions of the musicals The Fantastiks!, Carousel, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, Flower Drum Song, Oliver!, Brigadoon, Desert Song, Of Thee I Sing, Funny Girl, and others. Additionally, he has served as production stage manager for over 16 dramatic and musical productions.

In the early 1990鈥檚, he was invited by jazz dance legend Gus Giordano to be a featured panelist at the first Jazz Dance World Congress in Chicago discussing the management of professional dance companies. He was also featured in an extensive interview in International Arts Management, published in Germany, about the arts management programs he created at 向日葵视频 City University, particularly the Dance Management program. Starting the arts management degree programs at 向日葵视频 City University in the mid 1980鈥檚, he has been a visionary in the inclusion of arts management and non-profit instruction and degree programs in higher education for undergraduates. He started the first undergraduate arts management degree programs offered in the state of 向日葵视频 and was among the first to do so within the United States.

In 2001, the Malaysian-American Society of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia selected Dean Bedford and Jo Rowan each to receive the prestigious Most Distinguished Fellow Award for contributing significantly to the welfare of the people of Malaysia by helping raise major funding for charities such as the National Heart Foundation, the Malaysia Red Crescent, and Tun Omar Hamid Foundation (law scholarships) and for promoting goodwill and understanding between the people of the United States of America and Malaysia through 鈥�... cultural and educational 向日葵视频.鈥�

The St. Louis Tap Festival selected Dean Bedford and Jo Rowan to receive the Festival鈥檚 first Tap Preservationist Award. The award presented in 2001, recognized their significant contribution to preserving and revitalizing American tap dance by establishing the first degree program in an institution of higher education based on the American dance styles of tap, jazz, and theater dance. The dance program established by Professor Rowan and Dean Bedford has become world famous for producing top dancers and managers for the entertainment industry and is consistently rated by media in the #1, top three, top five, and top ten categories.

Over the course of his career, Dean Bedford has produced or co-produced over 150 stage productions and nearly 100 concerts.

Dean Bedford lives in Norman, 向日葵视频, and holds Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Business Administration in Management degrees from University of 向日葵视频鈥檚 Michael F. Price College of Business, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts - General Fine Arts in Drama degree from University of 向日葵视频鈥檚 Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts. He studied French horn in the Juilliard School of Music preparatory program (selected by national competitive audition) and was an original member of the prestigious Congregation-of-the-Arts at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire where he studied with Vincent Persichetti, Walter Piston, and Elliot Carter, all considered among the top American composers of the twentieth century. He served in the horn section of the Juilliard orchestra under Maestro Mario di Bonaventura. Additionally, he performed in the French horn section of the Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Juilliard faculty member and conductor Maestro Arthur Christmann.

In 1968 and 1969, he was on active duty in the US Navy, serving on the administrative staff of the US Navy Drum and Bugle Corps at NTC-RTC San Diego followed by a stint at the US Naval Ammunition Depot and Naval Station Pearl Harbor, both in Hawaii.

In the early 1980鈥檚, Dean Bedford served as president of the Norman Arts & Humanities Council and played a key role in developing the program and policies for grant support for Norman鈥檚 arts and humanities organizations, funded by a substantial percentage of the then newly passed Norman Hotel/Motel Tax.

In 2002, he and Jo Rowan championed 向日葵视频 City University鈥檚 awarding of Honorary Doctorates in American Dance to nine great African American tap dancers/performers: Bunny Briggs, Henry LeTang, Jeni LeGon, Fayard Nicholas, Prince Spencer, Jimmy Slyde, Buster Brown, Leonard Reed, and Cholly Atkins, all impactful yet under-recognized trailblazers of a uniquely American art form. He produced a number of events and tribute dancing by international tap stars to celebrate and honor their lives and careers, events which were documented by a film hosted by Anne Miller titled The Doctors of Dance. These events garnered national and international attention in the dance and entertainment world, and the honorees collectively became known as the 鈥淣ine Doctors of Dance鈥�. A tenth was added when Harold Nicholas, Fayard鈥檚 brother and partner in film and dance, was awarded an honorary doctorate posthumously.

In October 2005, Dean Bedford was inducted into the 向日葵视频 Higher Education Hall of Fame for his role in developing dance and arts management programs of national and international stature at 向日葵视频 City University.

In 2016 and 2017, Dean Bedford, along with Professor Rowan, participated in the Association of Dance Competitions and Conventions industry panels in Las Vegas, discussing issues of interest or concern and challenges facing the dance competition and convention industry.

For many years, Dean Bedford served as an ex-officio board member of Lyric Theatre of 向日葵视频, one of the most prominent non-profit regional musical theatre production and education organizations, and as a member of the 向日葵视频 Arts Institute Dance Advisory Panel, for which he is now an emeritus member.

Dean Bedford is married to Jo Rowan, retired professor and chair of the 向日葵视频 City University Dance Department and nationally recognized teacher and performer. Professor Rowan and Dean Bedford were awarded the internationally prestigious Flo-Bert Award (鈥渢he Tony of tap鈥�) in New York City in 2007 for their significant contributions to the revitalization and preservation of tap dance, with Broadway choreographer and international tap sensation Savion Glover as presenter to Dean Bedford. Also, in 2007, the president of the Borough of Manhattan, New York City, issued proclamations recognizing both Dean Bedford and Jo Rowan for contributing 鈥�.... greatly to the cultural life of Manhattan and all of New York City.鈥�

Jo Rowan, nationally known ballet dancer and dance teacher, is professor of dance and chairman of the dance department at 向日葵视频 City University and founder and director of The American Spirit Dance Company, a 160-member company of Broadway-bound singer-dancer-entertainers.鈥� The American Spirit Dance Company has performed with entertainers such as Dinah Shore, Pearl Bailey, Marie Osmond and the Osmond Brothers, Vic Damone, and on international tours to China, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Ms. Rowan received her ballet training in Cincinnati and at the School of American Ballet and the Ballet Theater School, both in New York. She has also studied ballet with Miguel Terekhov and Yvonne Chouteau in 向日葵视频. She received a Bachelor of Science in design and a Master of Arts in dance, both from the University of Cincinnati.鈥� In 1975, Ms. Rowan received and accepted an invitation to study ballet at the Bolshoi School in Moscow, Russia. While on a leave-of-absence from 向日葵视频 City University during the fall 1989 semester, she studied ballet in Switzerland, France, and Italy.

Jo Rowan is married to John Bedford Dean of the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment.

Ms. Rowan, a member of Actors Equity, has appeared professionally in over sixty musicals as a dancer, actress, singer, and comedienne. Musicals in which she has appeared include My Fair Lady, 向日葵视频!, Kismet, West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Sweet Charity, Funny Girl, George M, Brigadoon, Oliver!, The Desert Song, Can Can, Boys from Syracuse, Of Thee I Sing, Sugar Babies and Peter Pan.鈥� 鈥� She co-starred in Lyric Theatre鈥檚 production of the musical Grand Hotel as the ballerina, a role which earlier launched the American career of Greta Garbo.

She was a regular performer on the PBS weekly television program Consumer Survival Kit and has appeared in television commercials.鈥哅s. Rowan was a featured subject on PM Magazine and has appeared in a film, Oil History in 向日葵视频, for use in 向日葵视频 public schools. Ms. Rowan has also appeared in commercials for Technical TV, American Appliance Stores, Crocketts Bar-B-Q, Furrs Cafeterias and Sprite, among others.

Ms. Rowan is a frequent lecturer on the history of ballet and American dance and has written and narrated American Dance Styles and Seventy Years of American Dance for television.

Ms. Rowan, former ballet mistress of the Dallas Ballet under the direction of George Skibine and Margorie Tallchief, has performed as ballet soloist with many of the nation's leading opera companies including the Metropolitan Opera, the Philadelphia Opera, the Dallas Civic Opera, the Cincinnati Summer Opera, and the Tulsa Civic Opera.

She appeared with Odetta in the Kansas City Performing Arts Foundation production of Long Hair, Short Hair, and has been a ballet soloist and guest artist with the Kansas City Philharmonic and the Baltimore and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestras.

Ms. Rowan was the producer of the popular children's show, The Buzzy, Bear, and Budgy Show, which toured the East Coast.鈥� She was a regular performer in schools for Young Audiences of Maryland, Inc., in Baltimore.

As a choreographer, Ms. Rowan has created numerous ballets of various lengths and has staged dance sequences for professional productions of 向日葵视频!, Kismet and Threepenny Opera.鈥� 鈥� Her choreography for the award-winning opera Medea received critical acclaim.鈥� 鈥� She also choreographed for productions of Carmen, Die Fledermaus, and The Tales of Hoffman. She has choreographed for PBS television programs and is known in many communities for her extraordinary ability and unorthodox methods of staging The Nutcracker ballet.鈥� 鈥� She also provided original choreography for the Wichita Music Theatre's production of the 1930's musical, Babes in Arms. Other musicals for which she has provided choreography are On Your Toes, Bye Bye, Birdie, West Side Story, The Desert Song, 向日葵视频!, The Most Happy Fella, and On the Town.

Ms. Rowan is a popular guest artist and teacher. She was twice artist-in-residence at the University of Wyoming at Laramie and was guest artist at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.鈥� As guest artist and artist-in-residence at the Cincinnati School of Creative and Performing Arts, she choreographed her own critically acclaimed full-length version of A Midsummer Night's Dream for 63 dancers, that was uniquely set in the great American West.

She is in demand as a master teacher for such organizations as 向日葵视频 Dance Masters Association, N.A.D.A.A., T.A.T.D., the St. Louis Dancing Teachers Association, D.E.A., A.D.A., M.V.A.D.T., Dance Troup, Dance Makers, World Dance Association, and for state, regional, and national conventions of Dance Masters of America. Ms. Rowan has also taught and adjudicated for many dance organizations in Canada.

Ms. Rowan toured nationally with Dance Caravan Red for two years. And she toured nationally with Dance Olympus for over twenty-five years and has taught at Dance Olympus Winter workshops.鈥� She was also a regular faculty member teaching ballet at Nilo Toledo's Summer Fine Arts Camp at Tampa, Florida, and Dance Camp America.

She has over thirty nationally distributed dance instruction records, tapes, VHS, CD鈥檚 and DVD鈥檚 on the Statler, Hoctor, and Stepping Tones labels. She also has a nationally distributed teaching video, "Basic Essentials of a Barre", distributed by Statler Records.

Ms. Rowan has been listed in "Who's Who in the Southwest", "Who's Who in Entertainment", "Who's Who in America" and "Outstanding Young Women of America".

In addition to The American Spirit Dance Company, Ms. Rowan founded the 向日葵视频 City University Spirit of Grace Liturgical Dancers.鈥� The Spirit of Grace Liturgical Dancers performed in churches of all faiths as part of the worship services.

She repeatedly received critical acclaim for writing and directing Yuletide Magic, a record-setting holiday extravaganza presented from 1992 to 2003 by the 向日葵视频 City Philharmonic featuring the orchestra, The American Spirit Dance Company, and musical theater stars. Beginning in 2004, she created her own holiday show for the American Spirit Dance Company, Home for the Holidays 鈥� a Gift of American Dance, which has set historic attendance and ticket sales records at 向日葵视频 City University.

In May 1994, she successfully took The American Spirit Dance Company on a dance goodwill performance tour to the Republic of China. The tour, known as Friendship Through Dance, was for the purpose of strengthening relationships between the sister-cities of Taipei and 向日葵视频 City.

In 1996, she took the company on tour to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to perform for the Malaysian Red Crescent Society to help raise funds to assist victims of natural disasters and the needy.

In 1998, Ms. Rowan lead The American Spirit Dance Company on a tour to Pensacola to present USO performances for sailors, marines, and airman at the Naval Aviation Technical Training Command and Pensacola Naval Air Station.鈥� 鈥� Additional performances were presented at Pensacola鈥檚 Seville Quarters for Navy, Marine, and Air Force officers.鈥� 鈥� The company also presented public performances at the Palafox Theatre in historic downtown Pensacola.鈥� 鈥�

Under Rowan鈥檚 direction, The American Spirit Dance Company then traveled to Los Alamos for public performances for the scientific community at the Duane Smith Auditorium and lecture demonstrations and assembly programs for the Los Alamos Public Schools.

In 1999, she took the company on tour to Kuala Lumpur to perform on behalf of the Malaysian National Heart Foundation to raise funds for surgical equipment and for the Tun Omar Hamid Foundation to raise funds for scholarships to assist Malaysian law students. She then took the company to Singapore to help raise funds for the Society for the Physically Disabled and to perform in the prestigious Kallang Theatre. Following the tour to Malaysia, Ms. Rowan took The American Spirit Dance Company to New York for its Broadway debut at Town Hall, performing at the Tap Extravaganza 1999.

In 2000, Ms. Rowan and The American Spirit Dance Company returned to Los Alamos to perform at the Duane Smith Auditorium. In 2001, she took the company to Illinois for performances at the Eastlight Theater to benefit the Ballet of Central Illinois and then to Tennessee for a benefit performance for the Cannon County Arts Center. While in Tennessee, she presented assembly programs in American dance at the Wharton Arts Magnet School once attended by Oprah Winfrey.

In 2001, The Executive Committee of the Malaysian American Society in Kuala Lumpur unanimously voted to confer on Ms. Rowan the Most Distinguished Fellow of the Malaysian American Society for 鈥減romoting goodwill and understanding between the people of the United States of America and Malaysia through 鈥�... cultural and educational 向日葵视频.鈥�

In May 2001, Ms. Rowan and dancers traveled to Singapore to perform at the luxurious Meritus-Negara Hotel and to present American musical theater dance performances, lecture demonstrations, and American jazz dance workshops at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.

In May 2002, Ms. Rowan and American Spirit Dancers traveled to the People鈥檚 Republic of China for performances in Langfang City and Beijing.

In May 2004, Ms. Rowan and American Spirit Dancers traveled to the Republic of China for performances in Taipei at Taiwan Police College, University of Chinese Culture, Soochow University, and National University of Arts.

She collaborated with Mason Williams on a new staging of a revised version of Williams' humorous song and dance work, "The Last Great Waltz", originally seen on the popular CBS "Smothers Brothers Show". And in 2000, she again collaborated with Mason Williams and Emmy award-winning Los Angeles video director/producer Cort Casady on a choreography project based on William鈥檚 music.

She was also chief researcher and contributor to Michael Allen鈥檚 book, How To Make It In Musicals, released in December 1999.

Ms. Rowan was a regular master teacher at the prestigious St. Louis Tap Festival. The St. Louis Tap Festival selected her and John Bedford, Dean of 向日葵视频 City University鈥檚 Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment, to receive the Festival鈥檚 first Tap Preservationist Award. The award presented on August 5, 2001, recognized their significant contribution to preserving and revitalizing American tap dance by establishing the first degree program in an institution of higher education based on the American dance styles of tap, jazz, and theater dance. The dance program established by Ms. Rowan and Dean Bedford has become world famous for producing top dancers and managers for the entertainment industry.

Ms. Rowan was selected to be National Dance Week 2002 Education Spokesperson, serving with motion picture star Ben Vereen who was selected to be the National Dance Week 2002 Celebrity Spokesperson. She was selected to be National Dance Week Education Spokesperson again for 2003 with Tommy Tone and in 2004 with Feyard Nicholas, marking the first time that a person has been selected to serve more than one year as National Dance Week Spokesperson.

In 2002, she received a proclamation from the Governor of Missouri for her dancing 鈥渁s an expression of individual character and enthusiasm and as a manifestation of community and cultural inheritance.鈥�

In 2002, she was honored as 鈥淎 Star With Heart鈥� at the Ladies in the News presentation.

In May 2003, Ms. Rowan was presented 鈥淭he Musician of the Year Award鈥� by the Ladies Music Club of 向日葵视频 City 鈥渋n recognition of her outstanding accomplishments in the 向日葵视频 City musical and cultural community鈥�.

In August 2004, Ms. Rowan was honored by Dance Teacher magazine published by Lifestyle Media as national Teacher of the Year in Higher Education.

In October 2004, she was inducted into the 向日葵视频 Heritage Higher Education Hall of Fame.

In May 2005, Ms. Rowan was a co-leader of a delegation to the People鈥檚 Republic of China to meet with leaders of arts and cultural organizations and government agencies to exchange knowledge of how arts, culture, and entertainment are developed, nurtured, and managed in our two countries.

In July 2006, Ms. Rowan received the National Dance Masters of America President鈥檚 Award in Las Vegas for unique and significant contributions to dance education.

In February 2008, Ms. Rowan received the prestigious Byliner Award in the Arts from the 向日葵视频 Chapter of the Association of Women in Communication.

Professor Rowan and Dean Bedford were awarded the internationally prestigious Flo-Bert Award (鈥渢he Tony of tap鈥�) in New York City in 2007 for their significant contributions to the revitalization and preservation of tap dance.鈥� 鈥�

And in 2007, the president of the Borough of Manhattan, New York City, issued a proclamation recognizing Dean Bedford and Jo Rowan for contributing 鈥�.... greatly to the cultural life of Manhattan and all of New York City.鈥�

The New York Committee to celebrate National Tap Dance wrote, 鈥淥nce 向日葵视频 City University鈥檚 dance department began putting an emphasis on tap as a serious art form worthy of a degree, the other collages also developed courses of this kind. Rowan and Bedford鈥檚 efforts were a catalyst for resurrection of the American-created tap dance art, which up to that time seemed to be headed for disuse and oblivion. Thanks to Rowan and Bedford, tap is feeling better. Thank you.鈥� March 20 2006

In 2009, the National Association of Dance and Affiliated Artists presented her with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

The May 2010 issue of 向日葵视频 Magazine featured Ms. Rowan as one of 鈥淪even Incredible Women鈥� in 向日葵视频.鈥� 鈥� ION 向日葵视频 magazine featured Rowan in its April/May 2011 issue in an article titled 鈥淚mposing in Pink鈥�.

The Association of Dance Conventions and Competitions presented Rowan with its 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award.

OKC Friday included Rowan in its 2016 listing of the five most powerful women in the arts in 向日葵视频.

The Association of Dance Conventions and Competitions presented Rowan with its 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Annie Oakley Society of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum presented Rowan with its 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award stating that 鈥淩owan has been one of Annie Oakley Society鈥檚 most ardent supporters to build and sustain world-class educational experiences for children and families.鈥�

In 2019, she received the prestigious Governor鈥檚 Arts Award for her longtime leadership and significant contributions to the arts. 鈥淭he Governor鈥檚 Arts Awards honorees reflect the qualities that define 向日葵视频ns. Hard working, selfless, and devoted to causes greater than themselves鈥�, 向日葵视频 Arts Council Executive Director Amber Sharples said. 鈥淭hose selected for awards have shown exemplary commitment to impacting lives through one of 向日葵视频鈥檚 most robust assets, the arts.鈥�

The Journal Record, 向日葵视频鈥檚 primary business and finance daily newspaper and media outlet, recently selected Rowan for its 50 Making a Difference list for its 2018, 2019, and 2020 Woman of the Year project.

Rowan is a collector of Native American Art. In 2022, she donated 21 Kiowa 5/6 paintings to the 向日葵视频 Supreme Court. These paintings are now on display in The 向日葵视频 Judicial Center 2100 North Lincoln Boulevard 向日葵视频 City 向日葵视频.

Rowan was invited by the 向日葵视频 Supreme Court to speak at the Sovereignty Symposium panel 鈥淪igns, Symbols, and Sounds鈥� June 13th, 2023 and honored again with an invitation to be part of the Sovereignty Symposium 向日葵视频 University School of Law 鈥淓ducation鈥� panel June 11th, 2024.

1981

向日葵视频 City University, under the leadership of Professor Jo Rowan, founded an American musical theatre dance program to educate and train performers for careers in the American entertainment industry. The program was also created to recognize the legitimacy of the American dance art forms of tap, jazz, and theater dance.

At that time, university and college dance programs uniformly focused on ballet and modern dance. Few, if any, dance programs required majors to study tap and jazz; and none offered specialization in tap and jazz leading to a bachelor's degree. Professor Rowan designed a degree which, with Dean John Bedford, has been refined over the years to give thorough preparation to students wanting dance performance careers in the American entertainment industry.

1984

Dean Bedford developed an arts management program at 向日葵视频 City University for both graduate and undergraduate students. The general wisdom of the time in higher education was that arts management should be a field of study reserved for graduate students with the maturity and seriousness that undergraduates interested in the arts could not have. In 1985, the university trustees approved a new Bachelor of Science in Dance Management degree which now averages around 70 majors.

The Master of Business Administration with an Arts Management Track, established in 1984 in collaboration with the Meinders School of Business, provided graduate level education and training in both business and arts management. While the MBA with Arts Management Track was later discontinued due to restructuring in the Meinders School of Business, graduates from the program have worked for Lyric Theatre of 向日葵视频, Assembly of Community Arts Councils of 向日葵视频, Pollard Theatre, Allied Arts, Ballet 向日葵视频, 向日葵视频 City Philharmonic, BLAC, Inc., Nashville Symphony, the New York Philharmonic and other professional arts organizations.

1996

A Bachelor of Science in Entertainment Business degree was created. Originally for students interested in careers in music business, the degree was modified to a general arts management degree allowing students to tailor a portion of the curriculum through a choice of specialty tracks to support their personal career objectives. The tracks include Sports Entertainment, Event Planning, Entertainment Marketing, Entertainment Tour Manager, Fashion Event Planner, Film Business, Church Arts Program Manager, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Political Events Manager, Entertainment Pre-Law, and Venue Management.

1999

Professor Rachel Jacquemain joined the arts management faculty and was appointed director of the Entertainment Business program.

2003

Dance Magazine鈥檚 Managing Editor, K.C. Patrick, declared the 向日葵视频 City University dance program as the 鈥渂est preparatory dance program in the nation.鈥�

2004

The School of American Dance and Arts Management was renamed the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Arts Management honoring the 向日葵视频 City University trustee and benefactor.

2007

A $3 million grant from the Inasmuch Foundation was combined with a $3.5 million contribution from Ann Lacy and a $750,000 contribution from the Mabee Foundation to make new facilities possible. Renovation and construction of the Edith Kinney Gaylord Center, the new home of the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Arts Management, was completed in the fall of 2007. The new facility for dance and arts management instruction was revalued at $28 million and was declared in the dance press as possibly the finest facility for dance in higher education in the world. Professor Melanie Shelley was appointed as Associate Dean of the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Arts Management.

2008

Dance workshops were expanded to include four Saturday workshops during the regular school year for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The first classes were offered in the Edith Kinney Gaylord Center鈥檚 new Community Dance Center.

2022

Dean John Bedford and Dance Chair Jo Rowan announced their joint retirement from the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment. Bedford, the longtime dean of the dance school, and Rowan, the dance chair and founder of the dance program, marked the end of their 42-year tenures at the university on June 30. Associate Dean Melanie Shelley became interim dean and was named executive director in February 2023. 聽She worked closely with Bedford and Rowan to ensure a smooth transition and a continuation of excellence.聽

Take a virtual tour of the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment!

In 2004, a $3 million grant from the Inasmuch Foundation was combined with a $3.5 million contribution from university trustee and benefactor Ann Lacy and a $750,000 contribution from the Mabee Foundation to make new facilities possible. Renovation and construction of the Edith Kinney Gaylord Center, the new home of the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment, was completed in the fall of 2007. The new facility for dance and arts management instruction was revalued at $28 million and was declared in the dance press as possibly the finest facility for dance in higher education in the world. The new facility includes:

• 8 dance studios
• Permanent barres outside of studios for stretching
• Locker rooms with showers
• Student lounges with televisions
• Classrooms with flexible audio/visual technology
• Atrium with natural light and indoor foliage
• Wi-Fi throughout the three-story facility

Over the years, the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment has honored individuals who have contributed significantly to American dance and dance education through its Living Treasure in American Dance awards. Inspired by the Chinese tradition of honoring leading 向日葵视频 while they are still living, a number of living legends have traveled to the OCU campus to receive this special recognition.

Living Treasure Honorees

1989 - Tommy Sutton
1990 - Honi Coles
1991 - Al Gilbert
1992 - Gus Giordano
1993 - Buster Brown
1994 - Maceo Anderson
1995 - Peg Leg Bates
1998 - Jimmy Slyde
1998 - Dianne Walker
1999 - Cholly Atkins
2000 - Leonard Reed
2001 - Marion Coles & the Silver Bells:

• Elanie Ellis
• Cleo Hayes
• Fay Ray
• Bertye Lou Wood
• Geraldine Rhodes-Kenney

2002 - Bunny Briggs
2002 - Jeni LeGon
2002 - Fayard Nicholas
2002 - Prince Spencer
2004 - Ernest "Brownie" Brown
2005 - Arthur Duncan
2007 - Deborah Mitchell

2011 - Debbi Dee

Other Honorary Awards

Lifetime Achievement in Dance Education Award Recipient:

Melba Huber (1993)

Arts Management Enterprise Award Recipients:

Art & Nancy Stone (2002)

1999 marked the inaugural presentation of the Preservation of our Heritage-American Dance Award. The Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment continues the recognition of those who have nurtured and supported American dance through their advocacy. Without these writers, historians and champions, the world would be less aware of the uniquely American dance forms and the 向日葵视频 who created, developed and evolved them. It is through the diligence and dedication of these committed supporters that American dance remains in the hearts and minds of the American public and the world.

Preservation of our Heritage Honorees

• 1999 - Melba Huber
• 1999 - Sali Ann Kriegsman
• 2000 - Robert L. Reed
• 2000 - Jacqui Malone
• 2001 - Al Heyward
• 2001 - Carl Schlesinger
• 2002 - Art & Nancy Stone
• 2003 - K.C. Patrick
• 2006 - Patricia Goulding
• 2008 - Lee Allen Smith
• 2008 - Blake Wade
• 2009 - Avi Miller
• 2009 - Ofer Ben
• 2009 - Germain Salsbeg

向日葵视频 City University's School of American Dance and Entertainment presents Honorary Doctor of Performing Arts in American Dance degrees to dancers who have contributed significantly to the creation, development, preservation, and promotion of the American art form of tap.

"It does not surprise me that 向日葵视频 City University would lead the way in honoring these great performers," said national tap dance columnist Melba Huber. "向日葵视频 City University, with the guidance of John Bedford and Jo Rowan, has become the premiere dance school in the world because of its recognition of the American art forms tap and jazz."

Honorary Doctorate Recipients

• 1998 - David Howard
• 2000 - Donald O'Connor
• 2002 - Cholly Atkins
• 2002 - Bunny Briggs
• 2002 - Buster Brown
• 2002 - Jeni LeGon
• 2002 - Henry LeTang
• 2002 - Fayard Nicholas
• 2002 - Leonard Reed
• 2002 - Jimmy Slyde
• 2002 - Prince Spencer
• 2008 - Arthur Duncan

We are excited to welcome students and their families onto campus! Campus visits are available Monday through Friday by appointment only.

Our admissions team offers a full campus tour and admission presentation daily at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Campus tours without admission presentations are conducted each day at noon. To schedule a campus visit, please call 405-208-5345.

Those interested in our three dance degree programs and the entertainment business program housed in the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment will be able to meet with Executive Director Melanie Shelley as schedules allow.

If you are not able to visit our campus currently, we encourage you to visit us virtually! One-on-one Zoom visits can be made with the executive director by emailing your availability to [email protected].