Strike Up the Band ‘Three annual scholarships are given to members of the UK Band, whose former director, Harry Clarke, first approached Brumfield about 30 years ago. One former scholarship recipient is Michael Williams “78, a native of Lexington who is now asso- ciate professor of dance at the University ‘of Arizona. The dance program is ranked among the top 20 nationally. As assistant head of the dance division of the School of Music, Williams s overseeing the planning and construction of a new $9 million dance theater for the university, “The alumni scholarship assisted greatly in my ability to focus on my studies instead ‘of having to seek outside employment to supplement living expenses,” says Williams, who also received a medical rehabilitation at UK. He credits being a drum major in the band with “arguably providing the groundwork for my profes- sional performing career as.a dancer and later a choreographer.” His early training in dance has its roots in the famed Gus Giordano Dance Center in Chicago, where he later became a faculty member. He has worked in such diverse productions as a Japanese movie musical, “Curtain Call,” and an Emmy Award-win- ning special, “The Rehearsal. He and his wife of 18 years, Susan Quinn, have established a professional dance company in Florida, producing more. than 30 choreographic works. This past summer he taught and performed at the Taiwan Dance Festival in Taipei, Taiwan and in Monterrey, Mexico for the Jazz Dance World Congress. Hired to bring jazz dance to the Univer- (Michael Willams ‘7B, internation- ally known master jazz dance in- structor, is associate professor of dance at the University of Arizona, where the program is consistently ranked in the top 20 in the U.S, ‘As drum mejor, Michael Willems ‘78 led the band for many UK football game halftime shows. He credits tis experience with “arguably praviding the graund- ‘work for my professional career es a dancer and later a choreographer.” sity of Arizona, Williams teaches ad- vanced level dance technique courses in jazzand tap dance, a career develop- ment business course and segments of dance history. He was presented with the prestigious Charles and Irene Putnam Award for Teaching Excellence in the College of Fine Arts in 1996,