Libby Komaiko
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Dame Libby Komaiko began her career at Northeastern Illinois University in 1974. She is a professor of dance in the Department of Music and the Dance Program. She is also the Founder and Artistic Director of the Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater, the in-residence dance company at Northeastern Illinois University.
The Ensemble now celebrates their 25th Anniversary season. She was instrumental in developing the Dance Program, which now offers a Minor in Dance emphasizing contemporary and Spanish dance forms. This thirty (30) hour minor, also incorporates classical ballet, tap, jazz and ethnic forms along with dance composition, dance management, dance productions, various dance performance seminars and field experience courses.
As the senior member of the dance program, Komaiko heads the Spanish Dance division developing and training dancers from beginning through professional levels as dancers, teachers and choreographers.
She presents the annual American Spanish Dance Festival, a two-week intensive course which culminates with Gala Public Performances.
[edit] Honours
Libby Komaiko is the first United States artist to be decorated with the Orden de Beneficencia, Lazo de Dama de la Orden de Isabel la Católica (roughly translated as "[The] Ribbon of a Dame of the Beneficent Order of Queen Isabella, the Catholic Monarch") by Juan Carlos I, King of Spain in 1983. Accordingly she may be styled as Dame Libby Komaiko in Spain.
