Gene Medler, adjunct instructor in dance, and the North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble (NCYTE) are featured in the May/June 2006 edition of Dance Spirit magazine. Medler is founder and director of the highly acclaimed ensemble, founded in 1982.
The ensemble features 40 members ranging in age from 8 to 18. NCYTE has performed globally in cities such as Helsinki, Vienna and Rio de Janeiro and across the U.S. The ensemble was recently featured in the PBS documentary “Juba! The Masters of Tap and Percussive Dance.”
Medler has received numerous awards and recognition for his talents, including the 1998 Indy Award from Independent Magazine for his contribution to the arts. He has been featured as “Tar Heel of the Week” by the Raleigh News & Observer and in the December 2001 issue of Southern Living magazine.
In 1999, Medler performed a duet with tap dance legend Brenda Bufalino at the World Dance Festival in New York. He has performed solos in Duke Ellington’s “Nutcracker” and appeared with the Squirrel Nut Zippers.
Medler has received grants from the Durham Arts Council, the N.C. Arts Council and the Orange County Arts Commission. He was the 2003 recipient of the N.C. Dance Alliance’s annual award for ongoing commitment to dance in North Carolina and his achievement as a dance artist.