Holy Cross has theater, language, and art checked of for their honor societies, but what about dance? As a way for Holy Cross to expand its arts program and spotlight achievement in dance, this year the Academy has added The National Honors Society for Dance Arts (NHSDA).

Donna Reese and Rebecca Cornelius are co-sponsoring NHSDA, and are so excited to get it underway. The organization is run by the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO), headquartered in Silver Spring and is available to juniors and seniors at AHC.

As this is the first membership year, Cornelius is eager to try different things with the society. She explained that she is willing to have a president, vice president, and treasure. “It’s all up to the girls, if they want it to be like a club with board positions and field trips then that’s what we will do.”

This year the NHSDA inducted 12 seniors; junior members will be inducted later in the year.

The criteria to becoming a member includes students earning 30 points; 20 should be earned from participating in dance activities within the chapter site. The other 10 may come from taking part in dance in the community. Students must also be evaluated by a teacher or coach. The evaluation must confirm the students ability to demonstrate collaboration, motivation, and leadership. Members must also maintain a 3.0 GPA or above.

The NHSDA will be performing in December with the other school dance programs but is not officially one of the school dance teams because it is not a class or team.

AHC’s NHSDA “exemplifies high standards in the arts with emphasis on leadership and choreography,” explained Cornelius. “It’s something that makes Holy Cross special,” she added.

Seniors will receive recognition at graduation for participating in the NHSDA with an honor cord.

“I love to dance because it is a great way to express myself and show who I am. Dancing helps me move and figure out what I like to do. When you dance to music you feel relieved and its the best feeling ever,” said Lara Beach, a freshman interested in becoming a part of the new Honors Dance Society during her four years at Holy Cross.