Latest News

The full schedule for the 2026 NDEO Conference in Albuquerque, NM is now available! Take a look and start planning your conference now! Click here to view the schedule.

Not registered yet? There's still time to register before the September 1st Regular Registration Deadline! Click here to register and here to book your hotel.

August 31st, 2026 from 7:30-8:30pm ET - Register Here

Join NDEO's Executive Director (Ray Schwartz) and Board President (Julie Pentz) for a Listening Session and Annual Member Meeting. We will open with a short look back at the year and a look ahead, then spend the rest of the time in conversation. This meeting will also feature a presentation of the 2026 President and Executive Director Awards.

Dance does not live in one person's hands. We may name a choreographer, but the work still needs everyone in the room. We want to hear how all of this looks from where you stand. 

Three questions we will bring with us:

• What does dance education make possible that people outside the field tend to miss?
• Where do you feel NDEO present in your work, and where does it feel absent?
• What shifts in the field deserve more of our attention?

Things to Note: 

• This event is free for NDEO members - please sign in to your membership in order to register.
• You will receive a Zoom Link via email a few hours before the event begins.
• This session will have Al live captioning, ASL interpreters, and will be accessible to audio-only

Reminder: Times are all Eastern Time

Tending the Field - Caring for Dance Education, so the Work We Do Can Nourish Us All

From the Executive Director, Ray Schwartz 

For 28 years, NDEO has been an ensemble: teachers and teaching artists, researchers and students, studio owners and professors, working together for dance education. The last few years brought real change. Long-standing staff and leaders moved on. New voices joined the table. Public funding and education policy shifted under us. The field faces structural problems and structural openings at the same time...

Read Full Letter Here

Interested in College Credits for OPDI Online Courses for Dance Teachers?

Learn all about how this opportunity from NDEO and Oakland University works at our upcoming information sessions!

There are 2 opportunities to join us for a Virtual Information Session with representatives from Oakland University and NDEO's OPDI program to learn more about earning college credits for OPDI courses. Listen, learn, and ask questions.

1. Wednesday, July 29th at 6:30 PM ET - Register Here
2. Monday, August 10th at 6:30 PM ET - Register Here

The meetings will be recorded and emailed to all registrants after the event. Please register for the event even if you are unable to attend. 

Early access registration for NDEO membership opens TODAY, July 17th.

Non-member registration will open on Friday, July 24th. 

You can view and register for our upcoming Fall Courses here. 

NDEO members are invited to submit memorials on behalf of recently deceased members of the dance community by August 9th, 2026.

Learn more and submit memorials here.

Cohort 4 Applications NOW OPEN - Apply by July 11th, 2026

This program serves as a support system for dance studio teachers and dance studio owners with fewer than five years of experience (mentees) in the field. The program also provides those with five or more years of experience in the field (mentors) an opportunity to share their experience and lend guidance to these emerging dance teachers.

Learn More & Apply

Join Us for a Free Webinar: Moving Together: Advocacy and Adaptation for Dance and Students with Disabilities

Presented By:  Elizabeth Cotter, Kathleen Dominiak Treasure, Abigail Agresta-Stratton

All students, including those with developmental disabilities, deserve access to rigorous and in-depth dance experiences, including technique and dance making. We must find the appropriate adaptations to allow for ample participation by our students cognitive and intellectual disabilities. We must advocate for the needs of our students as each student is different and deserves the necessary support. We will provide tools to guide you in your journey to bring dance to every student including resources, tips, lessons, and Google Slides Shows. This webinar will be helpful for those dance educators with existing programs that would like to be reinvigorated, as well as those just starting that need support with adaptations, lesson planning, and effective instruction while honoring artistry.

Register Here!

Please join us virtually on Tuesday, June 9th to learn more about starting and running a chapter of NHSDA.  Register in advance through the links below:

• How to Start a Chapter of NHSDA - 12:00-1:00pm ET - Register Here
• Running a Chapter and Inducting Students - 4:00-5:00pm ET - Register Here

The 2026 NHSDA Award Winner, Finalists, and Honorable Mentions have been announced! Congratulations to these students on their accomplisments!
 

Please click here to view the NHSDA Award Recipients.