2019 Award Recipient!

Dr. Laverty is currently a Dance Specialist for Virginia Beach City Public Schools Gifted Dance Education Program. Prior to this, she was Director of Dance at Woodside High School (Newport News, VA) for fifteen years and a full-time Assistant Professor at Hampton University for six years, where she also directed the Community Children’s Dance Program. She has held Adjunct positions at Old Dominion University, Christopher Newport University, Thomas Nelson Community College, and J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College in Virginia. Dr. Laverty has a strong interest in World Dance forms, primarily in the African Diaspora and has studied Haitian, African, Balinese, Bharatnatyam, Flamenco and Middle Eastern dance. Dr. Laverty is the recipient of Surdna Educational Fellowship to study abroad at Polosseni Foundation for the Arts in Bali and at Nrityagram in India, Summer 2011; the National Dance Association (NDA) National Dance Educator of the Year, K-12, 2009; and, Dance Teacher magazine, Outstanding Teacher of the Year, K-12, 2006. She served as the vice-president for dance (and health) for the Virginia Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (VAHPERD), the Southern District AAHPERD, and the NDA’s performance and education divisions. Dr. Laverty was the last president of the NDA and the first two-term president of the National Dance Society (NDS). Over the years she has served and continues to serve on numerous committees in each organization she has been involved. Currently she is chair of the NDS Student Council as well as the conference planning committee. Her research on Charles H. Williams and the Hampton Institute Creative Dance Group has been published in “Finding a Way Out: Charles H. Williams and the Hampton Institute Creative Dance Group.” NDS is honored to recognize Dr. Mary Ann Laverty as its Dance Honor Award recipient.