Congratulations to our amazing Director Karen Gallagher on being awarded an MBE for her services to dance. MDI staff and board are all immensely proud!! Our thoughts and memories are also with Clive Taylor who nominated Karen for this well deserved accolade, he would have been delighted and very very proud! Well done Karen!
 
Karen is absolutely over the moon with this award. She is very proud to be acknowledged in this way and she would like to take this opportunity to thank her Family, MDI team and board and other colleagues and friends who have contributed to her ability to make a difference through dance, and in particular the late Clive Taylor, who worked on the nomination before his death in October 2011, he is greatly missed by all at MDI.

Other dance colleagues honoured were Professor Joan White, former Director of the Academy and Dean of the Faculty of Education at The Royal Academy of Dance, receives a CBE also for her services to dance. Barbara Benson-Smith from Whitby and Mary Watt, a Highland Dance Teacher from Ross-shire who both receive OBEs.

Related honours include Rod Aldridge OBE, Chairman of the Dance Champions group who receives a Knighthood for his services to young people through the Aldridge Foundation and Sarah Weir, former Executive Director of Arts Council England, London and currently Head of Arts and Cultural Strategy for the Olympic Delivery Authority, who receives an OBE.

The full list of New Year's Honours is available at www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/new-years-honours-list-2012