The Chicago National Association of Dance Masters (CNADM) has selected tap master teacher and educator Diane Gudat as recipient of the 2008 CNADM Artistic Achievement Award.

Ms. Gudat will be honored at CNADM's 96th Annual Awards Banquet on Thursday, July 24, 8:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Chicago Northwest in Arlington Heights, IL. The banquet is held in conjunction with the CNADM Annual Summer Dance Workshops (July 21 - 28, 2008), one of North America's leading dance education experiences. Banquet tickets may be purchased by contacting Managing Director Kathy Velasco at 815/397-6052. Representatives of the media are welcome and encouraged to attend; contact Kathy Velasco for reservations and details.

Diane Gudat is well-known throughout the country as a popular master teacher of tap and has served as a guest artist and choreographer to numerous private studios, public schools and companies. As an independent, award-winning choreographer, Ms. Gudat has stage a wide variety of musicals, show choirs, dance lines and was a coach for the World Champion USA National Tap Team in 2002.

Diane is the author of six dance books, "Acrobatics for the Dance Studio," "The Time Step Dictionary," "Music Theory for the Dance Classroom," "Variable Techniques for Teaching Tap," and "Step By Step: A complete Guide to Teaching Tap"--Books One and Two. She has also written many articles on dance education for Dance Studio Life, Dance Teacher and Dance magazines.

Her humor and energy make Diane Gudat a popular judge, scholarship auditioner, event host and faculty member for numerous conventions and competitions including Dance Masters of America, Dance Teachers Club of Boston, Florida Dance Masters, Southern Association of Dance Masters, and the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters. She is a native of Indianapolis, IN, where she now teaches at the studio she owned for 26 years, The Dance Company, Inc. She is Artistic Director of the Indianapolis Children's Dance League and is the host of the Indiana State Dance Championships.

CNADM's Outstanding Member of the Year Award
The Chicago National Association of Dance Masters will also be presenting its second annual CNADM Outstanding Member of the Year Award--a way of recognizing one special member who has gone above and beyond in promoting CNADM within their studio, as well as in supporting the art of dance within their community at large. The recipient of this award will be announced at the Awards Banquet on July 24.

Founded 96 years ago in 1912, CNADM is an internationally recognized association with members throughout the U.S. and Canada, and is dedicated to enhancing the knowledge and skills of those who have chosen dance and dance education as a profession. CNADM provides a member certification program to ensure that the highest standards are met and maintained by dance educators. CNADM Annual Summer Workshops are one of North America's leading dance education experiences, and are expected to attract over 750 participants this year. For more information about CNADM, visit www.cnadm.com, call Managing Director Kathy Velasco at 815/397-6052, or email cnadm@megsinet.net.

Contact: Dance Studio Life, P.O. Box 2150, Norton, MA 02766,

Phone: 888-i-dance-9, 508-285-6650, Fax: 508-285-3179,

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