Melba Huber

Melba Huber is president of Melba's Inc., a world-class dance studio in McAllen, Texas, that houses four dance studios, two gyms, a snack bar and a dance supply store. She is the founder of McAllen Dance Theatre Company that performs every February at the McAllen Civic Center. 2007 represents 50 years in business in McAllen, Texas.

Huber wrote Tap Talk for the New York Magazine Dance Pages/Dance and the Arts for ten years. After the magazine closed, Huber continued the column, renamed Tappin' In for Dancer Publication in 1998. The columns can be read on line www.melbasdance.com representing almost twenty years of dance history. She writes for the International Tap Association and was featured on their cover and named their first Tap Ambassador. Melba was on the cover of Dancer Magazine announcing the gift of the columns online to the dance world (www.melbasdance.com).  She was assisted by a grant from the McAllen, Texas Cultural Arts Council.

"It was important to me to write about tap and the many artists who played important roles in tap history,” Huber stated. “I wanted them to be honored while they are still alive, but I also wanted to include and encourage the new artist and no one was doing it."

In 2006 Melba was honored by Savion Glover at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and by Tradition In Tap in New York in 2005.

In 1995, Oklahoma City University presented Huber an award for over 50 years of contribution to the arts as a dance teacher. Huber was the first person outside of New York City to be presented the New York Flo-Bert Award in 1996 at Lincoln Center for "life achievement in improving the art and skill of the tap dancer."

The Texas Senate recognized Huber in 1997 for contributions to dance by presenting her the Texas state flag. In 1998, she was presented the Savion Glover Award in St. Louis, Missouri. Among her many credits, Huber includes the National Health and Physical Education Association's Plaudit Award and she is a past president of the Texas Association Teachers of Dancing.

She served on a four-member panel for Texas Dance History for Houston's Greater Tap Gathering. She received a member of the year award from the South Texas chapter of Dance Masters of America in 1989 and will receive her 50-year award from DMA in 2005. In 1999, she received the OCU Preservation of Our Heritage, American Dance Award, and in 2000, the Woman of Distinction Award by the Detroit Tap Festival. She has been listed in 2006 and 2007 Who’s Who in the World, Who's Who in America, Who's Who in American Women, and Who’s Who in Education. Huber often conducts dance history panels and interviews at dance festivals and workshops in New York for Tradition In Tap and at the St. Louis Tap Festival.

Melba’s former students are everywhere.  There are professions dancers, teachers, dance and gym owners and directors, and teachers using dance and gym in various professions. There are also many men and women who remember the ballroom classes in McAllen at Melba’s.