Students in a performance of “Spoke,” choregraphed by Associate Professor Sam Kenney, from a 2018 dance concert in the Merrins Dance Theatre. Dancers include (from left) Rachel Clayback, Kristen Heitzhaus, Ayami Ijichi, Mamiko Nakatsugawa. Aja Pandey, K Morgan Prikazsky, Vamnessa Raffaele and Julianne Wagner (Taylor Morse photo).
By Angelika Summerton
The National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) recently granted a National Honor Society for Dance Arts (NHSDA) chapter to Fredonia. The objectives of NHSDA chapters are to honor dance students for their outstanding artistic merit, leadership and academic achievement in the field of dance and to foster an appreciation for dance as a true art form and one worthy of recognition and prestige.
The NHSDA Collegiate Program goals encourage exploration of dance education, pedagogy, choreography, performance, research, community outreach and advocacy in the context of a broad dance program such as offered at Fredonia.
Furthermore, the Collegiate Program stimulates dialogue and networking between students, faculty, and experts in the field and promotes the use of standards in dance education curriculum and teaching methods to develop future leaders in the field of dance arts education and performance.
To qualify for induction, the student must earn points in each of three major strands (Artistic Merit, Leadership and Academic Achievement) of the NHSDA National Collegiate Point System for a total of 45 points.
The founding chapter sponsor, Department of Theatre and Dance Senior Lecturer Angelika Summerton, is looking forward to working with dance majors and dance minors toward induction into this highly regarded national honor society. Students must be enrolled in the B.F.A. Dance program or have a minor in Dance and maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher in the major or minor course work.
