NHSDA Celebrates 20 Years of Recognizing Outstanding Dance Students

In 2025, we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, the premiere honor society for dance in the United States. NHSDA was established by the National Dance Education Organization in 2005 to recognize outstanding artistic merit, leadership, and academic achievement in students studying dance. It is the only honor society that serves dancers in all learning environments - public, charter, and private schools in K-12 education, dance studios, cultural/community centers, performing arts organizations, and post-secondary education. 

A pilot program for NHSDA was launched for secondary schools in Arizona, South Carolina, Utah, and Florida in 2005, with support from The Capezio Foundation. In 2012, the NHSDA Collegiate Program was established, and the Junior Program for students in grades 6-8 was formalized in 2016. Initially, the NHSDA program was managed with paper records maintained by Chapter Sponsors. Today, the process is streamlined through the NHSDA website, making it easy for Chapter Sponsors to start a Chapter and induct students. NDEO gratefully acknowledges all those who were instrumental in the early development of the NHSDA program, and who continue to ensure its success today! 

There are over 1,500 active NHSDA chapters throughout the United States and abroad. Chapters are set up at individual schools and are moderated by a dance educator at that institution who serves as the Chapter Sponsor. Eligible students can be inducted into the Chapter at their school, studio, or program. There are three levels of induction: Junior (grades 6-8), Secondary (grades 9-12), and Collegiate (post-secondary). Students can be inducted into each level of the honor society, potential being a member from middle school through graduate school!  In 2024, there were 6,186 inductees at the Junior, Secondary, and Collegiate levels and 1,311 inductees who achieved Graduation with Honors.

Establishing an NHSDA chapter in your school is one very important way that you can help advance the field of dance education. Celebrating the artistic merit, leadership, and academic achievements of exceptional dance students helps to create honor and prestige within our field and improve our image to those outside the field, and offers benefits for students, institutions, and the field at large. If you are a dance educator who is interested in starting a Chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts at your school, you can learn more at https://www.ndeo.org/nhsda/Start-a-Chapter. If your school is not yet an Institutional Member of NDEO, you will need to sign up for a membership before setting up your chapter. You can learn more about NDEO membership here: https://www.ndeo.org/Membership

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The “Dance Education” blog is brought to you by The National Dance Education Organization (NDEO), a thriving non-profit membership organization that supports YOU as a dance educator! NDEO works with and for dance educators of all backgrounds and in every setting and genre. We work for equitable and accessible dance education for all through advocacy, research, and support for the dance educators who are making a difference for their students. As a membership organization, we rely on dance educators like YOU to join us in this important work! When you become a member of NDEO, you align yourself with our vision of dance education for all. We invite you to become a part of our vibrant community that offers support, resources, advocacy, and research you need to make a difference for yourself and make an impact on our field. Now more than ever, we need to come together to celebrate and share the dynamic, affirming, community-building, transformative power of dance. Join the movement - click here to become a member of NDEO today!