Professor Judy Rice, an Associate Professor of Dance at the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance (SMTD), has passed away, leaving behind a profound legacy that touched the lives of students, colleagues, and dance communities across the nation.
Dean David Gier confirmed her passing in a message to the SMTD community, describing it as a tremendous loss for the institution she had called home since 1990.
“It is with deep sadness that I write to inform you of the passing of Professor Judy Rice, a treasured member of our SMTD community since joining the faculty in 1990,” Dean Gier wrote. “An outstanding educator, Professor Rice was the inaugural recipient of the SMTD Teaching Excellence Award.”
The honor was fitting for a woman who dedicated her life to shaping young dancers with both technical rigor and infectious enthusiasm. Her contributions to the departments of Dance and Musical Theatre at one of the country’s most respected performing arts schools will be felt for generations.
Rice joined the University of Michigan faculty more than three decades ago, and in that time, she became one of the most celebrated and beloved figures in dance education.
Colleagues who worked alongside her describe her as not simply a teacher, but a force of nature in the classroom.
Fellow faculty member and former dancer Peter Sparling remembered her as one of the most gifted teachers he had ever encountered, noting that her vibrant spirit would be cherished and remembered with great fondness even as her passing left a deep sense of loss among those who knew her.
A Legacy That Extends Far Beyond the Classroom
Beyond the university walls, Rice’s influence stretched into studios and dance programs across the country. Her work with Company C Dance Club stands as a testament to the breadth of her generosity and commitment.
Jessica Brutlag, a teacher at Company C, recalled how Rice visited the studio nearly every other week during its early years, helping lay the technical foundation that the studio still builds upon today.
“She was a friend and mentor and truly changed me as a teacher,” Brutlag wrote. “No one brought energy, joy, and fun to a classroom, all while teaching the most solid ballet technique of any teacher I have ever encountered.”
Rice was also known for her memorable and highly practical teaching expressions, phrases that her students carried with them long after leaving her classes.
Sayings like “zip your jeans,” “hip rib rote,” and “cupcakes” became touchstones for dancers who trained under her, shorthand for deeper lessons about alignment, posture, and body awareness.
These so-called Judy-isms lived on in studios wherever her former students went on to teach.
What made Rice exceptional was not only her mastery of ballet technique but her fierce advocacy for her students.
She opened doors for young dancers that, by all accounts, only she had the relationships and reputation to unlock. She saw her students not merely as pupils but as her own, and she fought for their opportunities accordingly.
Memorial details are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. The dance world mourns the loss of a true original.
