NHSDA
National Honor Society for Dance Arts
Highlighting the Best and Brightest Dancers in the Seacoast Area!
Dance Innovations Dance Center is an established Secondary Chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts accessible to 9th-12th grade students studying dance who meet the requirements for induction. DIDC seeks to ensure that excelling dance students within the Seacoast Area have every opportunity to grow and succeed. This means that students attending a high school without a dance program or whose high school or dance studio are not current chapters, can still be inducted through Dance Innovations Dance Center. Each student seeking Induction will be assigned a DIDC Mentor to guide them through the process. If you have questions regarding NHSDA or are interested in being inducted, please email the DIDC Director, Katie Fitzpatrick at Katie@DanceInnovationsNH.com.
TO BE CONSIDERED AS A 2019 DIDC/NHSDA INDUCTEE, ALL PLEDGE FORMS & APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY JANUARY 31st, 2020. POINT TRACKING SHEETS MUST BE RECEIVED BY APRIL 1st, 2020.
INTRODUCTION DETAILS
Students who meet the Requirements may apply for Induction at any time.
General Requirements for Induction:
- GPA: A minimum overall GPA of 3.5 or higher.
- DEMONSTRATION OF CHARACTER: Demonstration of collaborative teamwork, motivation, and leadership as determined by a DIDC Mentor or recommendations given by the student’s Teachers or School Administrators.
- EARNED PARTICIPATION POINTS: A minimum of 30 points earned via The NHSDA National Induction Point System. (See more information in The NHSDA National Induction Point System section of this page.)
Dance Innovations Dance Center will hold ONE Induction Ceremonies each year in the SPRING on April 10, 2019.
Are you a graduating senior? It’s not too late! Email Katie@DanceInnovationsNH.com to find out how DIDC can induct qualifying seniors retroactively.
The NHSDA National Induction Point System
The NHSDA National Induction Point System provides a range of points possible for various activities. Students must earn a minimum of 30 Points in order to be considered for Induction. Points can be earned in a variety of ways, including:
- Participation in a High School or Studio Dance Program
- Participation in Dance Related Activities
- Participation in Other Duties Related to Dance Production
- Leadership Participation within DIDC
- Individual Customized Activities as Determined by the DIDC Sponsor and Inductee
Click the NHSDA POINT SYSTEM tab above to view or print the Induction Point System
ARTISTIC MERIT, LEADERSHIP, & ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Students who have been inducted into the NHSDA Secondary Program through Dance Innovations Dance Center and are current juniors and seniors in High School are eligible for the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) Artistic Merit, Leadership and Academic Achievement Award, the highest student dance award in the nation. This year, the National Winner of the award will receive up to a $1000 scholarship, a certificate, recognition at the annual NDEO conference, and will be featured on both the NHSDA and NDEO websites throughout the year.
AWARD CRITERIA
Applicants are rated based on the strength of their technical and artistic merit, leadership, and academic achievement. These categories are assessed through a self-choreographed solo video, four essay questions, GPA and transcript, recommendation letter and resume. Each category is worth 300 points for a total score of 900 possible points. The top two applicants with the highest score in their state sponsoring organization (where applicable) are forwarded on to the National office for national adjudication. The applicants are judged in three main categories:
- Artistic Merit: The Nominee must demonstrate artistic and technical excellence in dance.
- Technical excellence as seen in video
- Artistic Merit as seen in video
- Essay #1: Choreography – What was the intent of your original choreography? Please provide title of work, inspiration, and any challenges you encountered in the choreographic process. (Limit 250 words)
- Leadership: The Nominee must demonstrate outstanding leadership in and outside of the field of dance at the school, community, state, and/or national level.
- Recommendation Letter
- Resume
- Essay #2: Impact of Dance on Life – What impact has dance had on your life, in and out of the studio? How do you plan to use this influence in the future to have an impact on other people and communities? (Limit 500 words)
- Academic Achievement: The Nominee must demonstrate academic excellence with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
- Overall school GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Transcript (official or unofficial)
DATES & DEADLINES
Applications should be submitted NO LATER THAN January 31, 2020
National Winner, Finalists, and Honorable Mentions will be notified by email.
HOW TO APPLY
- Follow the “NHSDA AWARD” link above
- In the “Start an Application” box on the left side of the page, select the drop tab, “Select a Program Group.” The Award will be listed there; Select it.
- In the drop tab, “Select Program,” select “National Award Consideration: ALL STATES.” This will bring up the appropriate application along with directions and guidelines.
- Select the Application Tab at the bottom of the page
- You will then be prompted to create a FREE account with www.getacceptd.com. This will allow you to upload materials, save your application, and submit it for consideration.
- Continue to follow the guidelines outlined in the application.
ABOUT The National Honor Society for Dance Arts
The National Honor Society for Dance Arts, or NHSDA, is a program of the National Dance Education Organization whose mission is to recognize outstanding artistic merit, leadership, and academic achievement in students studying dance and to foster an appreciation for dance as a true art form. By recognizing these dance students nationwide, providing institutions with a way to promote their dance programs, NHSDA helps to advance the field of dance and the importance of dance education.
Dance students are inducted based on a “point system.” Points are awarded for dance activities such as dance classes, rehearsals, performances, research, workshops, or community service, alongside a GPA of at least 3.0. Dancers who are inducted receive recognition of their artistic merit, academic achievement, and leadership throughout their educational experience. They receive certificates at each level of induction with the opportunity to wear the gold Honor Pin and blue and white Honor Cord with graduation gowns, mentorship from the DIDC Chapter Sponsors and board members, networking with their peers, and have access to leadership and development opportunities within their NHSDA Chapter. Students will potentially have the opportunity to assist the DIDC chapter sponsors with administration, record keeping, fundraising, and event planning as the chapter grows. Inducted students also qualify for the NHSDA National Merit, Leadership, and Academic Achievement Award, a scholarship award and the highest honor from the National Dance Education Organization.
Learn more about NHSDA and its mission here.
ABOUT The National Dance Education Organization
The National Dance Education Organization is a non-profit, membership organization dedicated to advancing dance education centered in the arts. NDEO provides the dance artist, educator and administrator a network of resources and support, a base for advocacy and research, and access to professional development opportunities that focus on the importance of dance in the human experience.
To learn more about NDEO, its Mission and History, follow the link below.
