The National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) is pleased to announce that Sonya Monts received the 2016 NDEO Outstanding Dance Educator – Private Sector award. This award acknowledges a stellar dance educator from the private sector (private studios and schools of dance) who has established a record of excellence in teaching dance as an artistic discipline.

Sonya Monts (BA, RDE, CiDE) is the owner of The Dancer’s Extension in Saluda, N.C. where she teaches ballet, pointe, jazz, contemporary and creative movement to ages 3 to adult. She is also the dance teaching artist for Polk County schools. She holds a bachelor of arts degree magna cum laude and cum honore from Columbia College, S.C. 

Committed to lifelong learning and the promotion of a high quality dance education for her students, she earned her Certificate in Dance Education (CiDE) through NDEO’s Online Professional Development Institute (OPDI) in December, 2015, after the successful completion of 33 credits of online coursework. She has 35 years of dance experience, with 20 years in dance education, including solo and group choreography, workshops in the public library system, choreography and staging for local theatre productions, and liturgical dance within the United Methodist Church. 

She is a Registered Dance Educator (RDE), using the programs and services of NDEO to enrich her students’ education. For NDEO, Sonya sponsors a chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, contributes to Dance Education in Practice journal, serves on the Applied Strategic Planning committee, consults with OPDI staff and instructors to improve OPDI courses, and frequently participates in the online member forums. 

During this year’s annual conference, Sonya presented a paper entitled, “OPDI: An Innovative Tool to Advocate, Analyze, and Advance Dance Education in Rural Areas.” The abstract of her presentation is being published in the Proceedings of the 2016 National Dance Education Organization Conference.

Upon her nomination by fellow members of the NDEO and multiple letters of support, the awards committee selected Sonya to receive this year’s award.  She traveled to Washington, D.C., to graciously accept the award in person on Oct. 9, during the NDEO’s Annual National Conference. Presenting the award to Sonya was NDEO past president, Thom Cobb, and NDEO executive director, Susan McGreevy-Nichols.

NDEO is a membership services organization dedicated to providing standards, professional development, networking forums, honor societies, journals, research, and advocacy tools for teachers, administrators and students in the field of dance arts education. To learn more visit ndeo.org.

– article submitted by Melissa Greenblatt