Introducing Jo Rowan 

 Jo Rowan is one of the most highly respected dance educators in America today and, as such, is once again being honored with the distinction of being named the national Education Spokesperson for National Dance Week 2004. This is the first time, ever, any individual has been named to the role for three years in succession which attests to the high regard and esteem the American dance community holds for her and her life's work.
The NDW 2004 Education Spokesperson, Ms Rowan, is a nationally known master ballet teacher and performer and is well known across the United States. As such, she repeats her 2002 and 2003 role for NDW, an honor no other has ever been afforded. A co-founder and Chairman of Oklahoma City University's internationally famous American musical theatre dance department and Director of the American Spirit Dance Company, Jo has earned great respect and adoration from the dance community which is evidenced, in one measure, by her being presented with the St. Louis Tap Festival 2001 Tap Heritage Preservationist Award. Rowan, who was trained at the School of American Ballet and the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow and holds degrees in design and dance from the University of Cincinnati, has performed with the Cincinnati Ballet, Dallas Ballet, Garden State Ballet, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Dallas Opera, Philadelphia Opera, Tulsa Opera, Cincinnati Opera, and appeared as a soloist at Radio City Music Hall. She has also been a guest artist with the Baltimore, Kansas City, and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestras. Her presence has graced the stages of over 60 Equity musicals and she has performed in countless major cities, theaters, companies throughout the United States. She has also appeared in numerous television commercials and was a regular on the PBS TV show, "Consumer Survival Kit." Rowan performed in the musical Grand Hotel as ballerina Grushinskaya, a role that earlier launched the American career of Greta Garbo. She has also produced her own children's show, which toured throughout the northeastern United States. Rowan has created dance instruction records, tapes, CDs and videos on the Hoctor, Stepping Tones and Statler labels and was the chief researcher for "How To Make It In Musicals," Michael Allen's authoritative book on a successful career as a musical theater performer. Formerly ballet mistress of the Dallas Ballet, Rowan has taught for all major dance organizations in the United States. She has conducted master classes at the St. Louis and Detroit Tap Festivals, has toured America as ballerina with Dance Olympus, taught for Dance America and at the Boston Ballet and has adjudicated for the North American Ballet Festival Competition in Boston. Rowan, who was selected by the Malaysian-American Society of Kuala Lumpur for its "Most Distinguished Fellow Award" for significant contributions to the people of Malaysia through dance, has also been featured on the cover of the Oklahoma Woman magazine where she was honored by the Oklahoma Hospitality Club as a "Lady in the News". Most recently, she was awarded the "Musician of the Year" award by the National Ladies Music Club's Oklahoma Chapter. Ms. Rowan, together with Dean John Bedford and Robert L. Reed, was instrumental in awarding honorary Doctor of Performing Arts in American Dance degrees to nine great tap dancers--Cholly Atkins, Bunny Briggs, Buster Brown, Jeni LeGon, Henry LeTang, Fayard Nicholas, Leonard Reed, Jimmy Slyde, and Prince Spencer--for their contributions to the creation, development, preservation, and promotion of tap dance. Ms Rowan stands for all that is fine in dance education and performance, alike, and lends a tremendous presence to our national visibility. She resides in Oklahoma City with her husband, John Bedford, who is her co-founder and the Dean of the School of American Dance & Arts Management at Oklahoma City University.
Ms Rowan has worked tirelessly on behalf of dance in America, extending her efforts into every realm possible, exerting her energies for the good and advancement of the dancer as well as the public's education. As the NDW Spokesperson in 2003, she appeared in a Media Satellite television interview for the Sesame Workshop in conjunction with the Sesame Street muppet, Zoe Ballerina. She also appeared at the NDW state event produced by State Director, Linda Green, in St. Louis, Missouri, as a Featured Performer and Speaker, bringing to the public an enthusiasm in her own inimitable fashion.