Kofa dance instructor Jennifer Florey receives award for excellence in teaching

Kofa High School dance teacher Jennifer Florey is a recent recipient of the Arizona Dance Education Organization (AzDEO)’s Bill Evans Excellence in Teaching Award.

Bearing the namesake of master dance teacher Bill Evans, the award is given to outstanding educators who create a sense of community in the classroom and an environment of trust in which students can experience change and/or transformation; demonstrates an extensive understanding of dance content and the artistic processes as well as a developmental sequence of classroom material; presents a positive attitude that exhibits a love of dance; engages students in the learning process and helps them assume responsibility for their grown as both an artist and a learner; provides multiple inroads for student understanding; fosters student appreciation of the relationship between music and dance; and has taught for a minimum of five years, according to the organization.

Recipients are nominated by a colleague or fellow dance educator, an administrator, a mentor or a current or former professor.

Florey has overseen the dance program at Kofa High School for eight years. She was highlighted by the Arizona Department of Education’s March 24 Youth Arts Month celebration and will formally receive the award during a virtual awards ceremony scheduled for May 8.

“There are so many talented dance educators who are deserving of this award in the state of Arizona, so to be among them and chosen for this award makes me very honored,” Florey said. “Since moving to Arizona, AzDEO has been nothing but supportive of myself as an educator and of the Kofa dance program. They have allowed me to grow as an educator in many ways and have provided several opportunities for Kofa students to expand their knowledge of dance. I thank them for recognizing my hard work over the years and appreciative of their continued support.”