NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY FOR DANCE ARTS (NHSDA) NEWS

South Carolina Dance Education Organization Establishes 19 NHSDA Chapters

Nine South Carolina middle and high schools and schools of dance currently hold NHSDA chapters through the SC Dance Education Organization (SCDEO).  To date over 120 middle and high school students in the state have met the eligibility requirements and have been inducted into the honor society.  South Carolina NHSDA chapters are:

• Hand Middle School - Richland School District One

• Ridge View High School - Richland School District Two
• Palmetto Center for the Arts at Richland Northeast High School - Richland School District Two
• Crayton Middle School - Richland School District One
• Kelley’s Fine Arts - Olanta, SC
• Fine Arts Center – Greenville County Schools
• Pine Street Elementary School – Spartanburg School District 7
• Marlboro School of Discovery – Marlboro School District
• Summerville High School – Dorchester School District Two                                                                                     

The SCDEO, South Carolina’s affiliate of the National Dance Education Organization, also serves as a surrogate affiliate for those wishing to establish NHSDA chapters in states without established NDEO affiliates.  SCDEO out-of-state chapters include:

• BalletMet Academy – Columbus, OH
• East Millbrook Magnet Middle School j- Raleigh, NC
• Vestavia Hills High School – Vestavia Hills, AL
• Roseville High School – Roseville, CA
• Nancy Royce Studio of Dance – Aberdeen, NJ
• Diamond Ranch High School – Pomona, CA
• Parkview Arts and Sciences Magnet High School – Arkansas
• Rosemary’s School of Dance Education – Warren, RI
• Center of Creative Arts – St. Louis, MO
• Seaside Dance and Gymnastics Centre – Westerly, RI
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For information about the NHSDA and to learn how to establish a chapter in your area, visit the NDEO web site at www.ndeo.org (National Programs).

Ridgeview High School Students Win State and National Recognition 

ceremony in May 2006.  In order to win the award, dance students must meet the criteria for NHSDA induction as well as the following: 

• Artistry and technical excellence in the field of dance
• Outstanding leadership related to dance in the classroom, in the community, state and/or at the national level
• Grade point average of 3.0 or higher

The state-level awards serve as a pre-screening for the National Dance Education Organization’s (NDEO) Artistic Merit, Leadership, and Academic Achievement award, the highest student dance honor in the nation.  Top-ranked state winners’ applications are forwarded to NDEO for consideration for the national award.  Gayle Griffin was one of two students in the nation to win the national level award this year, and the award was officially presented at the NDEO annual conference in October 2006 in Long Beach, California.  The SCDEO salutes the 2006 award recipients from Ridgeview High School and their teacher Ellen Harrison.

Information about the Artistic Merit, Leadership, and Academic Achievement award is published in the NHSDA Sponsor Handbook available at www.ndeo.org (National Programs).