First Annual Project Motivate Award of Excellence 

Presented at Project Motivate to Debbie Lamontagne of the North Andover School of Dance

On July 30, Debbie Lamontagne, Director of the North Andover School of Dance in North Andover, MA, was awarded the first annual Project Motivate Award of Excellence for her kindness and generosity in reaching out to a fellow studio owner after her school was destroyed in the May 2006 flooding of the Shawsheen River in Andover, MA.

Lamontagne unselfishly opened her doors to Jane O’Donnell, director of the flooded Center for Performing Arts in Andover, MA, letting O’Donnell use her studio, costumes, props, and even her tap shoes.

“I am forever indebted to Debbie Lamontagne, her staff, and the entire community of North Andover School of Dance for reminding me of what is important in life,” says O’Donnell. “All the ‘stuff’ I lost can be replaced, but the unselfish acts of kindness will never be forgotten.”

Rhee Gold honored Lamontagne at the closing luncheon of his inspirational seminar, Project Motivate, at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston, MA. He presented her with a plaque and thanked her for “setting the example for all dance educators.”

“Your unselfish desire to help a fellow dance teacher and her students in their time of need has taught us all that appreciating, respecting and assisting each other can be accomplished among the dance profession,” the plaque read. “You are a shining light in the dance teaching world.”

The Project Motivate Award of Excellence will continue to be awarded each year to a dance teacher and/or studio owner who embodies the spirit of Project Motivate by exhibiting a strong sense of community and respect and embracing camaraderie among dance teachers despite the competitive nature of the industry.

For more on the story of Debbie Lamontagne and Jane O’Donnell, please keep an eye out for Jane’s article, “Thank You For Being A Friend: Breaking down the invisible wall,” in the October issue of Goldrush magazine.

Photo: (From left to right) Rhee Gold, Debbie Lamontagne, and Jane O'Donnell.