Latest News

By Jen O'Neill ~~ 

I recently celebrated my 25th year teaching dance and movement. I am lucky enough (and healthy enough) to continue the work I love and was meant to do. What impacted me the most celebrating this milestone was the community, belonging, and joy I have built with my dancers over these last two+ decades. This will be my legacy and also the gift to myself I didn’t know I needed...

Read Full Blog Post

Dear NDEO Members, Colleagues, and Friends,

It is with a mix of melancholy, nostalgia, and countless great memories that I am publicly announcing my departure from NDEO, a place that has been my work home for the past 18 years.  I have accepted the position as Executive Director of the  National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS).  My last day at NDEO will be January 13, 2026. I am excited to bring the association leadership expertise gained through my time at NDEO to another arts education community - this time centered on the art of singing and vocal pedagogy. 

Have you been considering submitting a proposal for the 2026 NDEO National Conference, but you're not sure where to start? We are offering two distinct Conference Proposal Writing workshops to help you brainstorm or workshop your ideas in a collaborative environment. 

The first workshop will be held on Tuesday, January 13th, 2026 at 7pm ET. You can register for that session here . This event will focus on drafting your initial proposal and offer an opportunity to participate in timed writing prompts with peer feedback.

The second workshop will be held on Tuesday, January 20th, 2026 at 7:30pm ET. You can register for that session here . This is intended to take a deeper dive, specifically for people who are proposing sessions on the topic of Dance and Disability. If you would like to meet with our Dance and Disability Committee for guidance on crafting a proposal from the Disability Justice lens. 

Prior to attending, please consider viewing our proposal submission tutorial here for some general guidance on drafting a proposal. 

Latest Blog Post - Nearly 3 Decades Strong, NDEO is Just Getting Started: 2025 in Review - Read Blog Here

Ray Schwartz stepped into the role of NDEO’s next Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer on December 1, 2025. Read More

The 2026 NHSDA Artistic Merit, Leadership, and Academic Achievement Scholarship applications are now open! Deadline to apply is January 30, 2026.

Dance students who have been inducted into the National Honor Society for Dance Arts (NHSDA) Secondary Program and are current juniors and seniors in High School are eligible for the NHSDA Artistic Merit, Leadership and Academic Achievement Award and Scholarship, the highest student dance award in the nation. 

Learn More

OPDI Spring 2026 Semester is open for registration. Learn More. 

OPDI will benefit the vast majority of dance educators, teaching artists, and administrators who are working in private studios and schools of dance, community and cultural centers, higher education, and K-12 education seeking professional development. 

Starts on February 9, 2026

• OPDI-M18: Intro. to Choreography in Dance Education - A Process to Teach Students How to Create Dances NO SPOTS LEFT
• OPDI-M34: Exploring Ballet - History and Practice

Creativity in These Times: Dance & Disability Virtual Summit 2026 - Call for Presenters

When: Saturday, March 21, 2026 - all day

We invite a wide range of contributions from NDEO members and beyond to investigate with us the multiple contexts of dance and disability and their intersections in disability artistry, disability culture, community dance, dance for the stage, PreK-12, Higher Ed, competitive dance worlds, etc. The goal of this conference is to elevate the field of dance and disability, bring joy to all participants, and create pathways to dance performance and education careers for students and teachers with disabilities. 

Learn More

Apply by January 5, 2026