Victoria Holley-Foster, a three-degree alumna of Wayne State University, recently was named Dance Educator of the Year by the Midwest District Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

Holley-Foster has had a lifelong connection with WSU, the Detroit Public Schools and the Detroit dance community. While earning her bachelor's degree here, she began working for the Detroit parks and recreation department and Wayne County Community College.

She began her teaching career with the Detroit Schools in 1975. In 1979 she received a master's degree in dance education and began teaching at Cass Technical High School.

Under her direction the Cass Tech Dance Workshop has performed internationally. The group recently performed in Aurillac, France, in Dallas and at the International Black Dance Association's annual conference in Washington, D.C.

Holley-Foster was instrumental in developing "Crossroads," a project combining dance, music, art and drama into a multicultural, interdisciplinary collaborative. The project was presented at the Detroit Public Schools Middle School Institute for all middle school staff.

The second phase, the annual Multicultural Children's Concert, is presented at Cass Tech for about 1,800 elementary and middle school students each year.

She has maintained a commitment to the university by being a supervising teacher for aspiring dance teachers for the past 18 years.

In 1995 Holley-Foster earned an educational doctorate in administrative and organizational studies. She is a member of several professional groups.