Amy T. Jex is an associate teaching professor and associate chair in the Department of Dance at Brigham Young University. She also serves as artistic director of BYU Traditionz, a cultural dance outreach performance ensemble. As an educator and artist, she is passionate about sharing the rich heritage of folk and cultural dance with students and audiences alike.
Jex’s teaching and research focus on dance pedagogy, dance history, and world dance forms including Ukrainian, Indian, character dance, and tap. She loves connecting with people around the globe and learning from the traditions they share.
Jex earned her bachelor’s degree at BYU and was preparing to begin a graduate program in dance when she started to question whether she was making the right choice. After seeking spiritual guidance through a priesthood blessing, she received an unexpected but life-shaping answer: she was free to choose the path that would bring her the most joy. “My Heavenly Father knew me well enough to know what I would choose […] But He wanted me to learn to trust myself and take ownership of this big decision. It was as if He was saying, ‘I know what you want and it’s a good thing. I trust you. Now trust yourself.’”1 She sees that moment as a profound expression of divine trust and love that led her to a meaningful and joyful career.
Outside of BYU, Jex has served as secretary of the National Folk Organization and contributes to the National Dance Education Organization and the Utah Dance Organization. She has also been a guest instructor, choreographer, and adjudicator for Regional Dance America-Pacific, UDEO, Mountain West Ballet, the International Dance Council CID-UNESCO, and many school and church groups.
Jex is married to her favorite dance partner, and they are the parents of four children. She has a powerful testimony of God’s love and His plan for us. She remarks, “Our Father in Heaven wants us to choose for ourselves, but that doesn’t mean that He doesn’t want to be involved. Instead, His perfect plan made it possible for us to have help in this life. Although we need to learn through disappointment, sorrow, and even failure at times, He will be there to help us.”2
