New York State Dance Education Awards
2026 NYSDEA Call for Awards
Application Timeframe:
Saturday, February 1st, 2025 - Saturday, October 18th 2025
Official contact person: Nicole Bryant
Please email any questions to: [email protected]
Saturday, February 1st, 2025 - Saturday, October 18th 2025
Official contact person: Nicole Bryant
Please email any questions to: [email protected]
NYSDEA Awards Ceremonies will take place at the NYSDEA Winter Conferences, not at NDEO. More information about the location, date, and time of our 2026 NYSDEA Winter Conference is to be determined. Applications for NYSDEA’s 2026 awards are now available.
The time has come to acknowledge and celebrate outstanding individuals who have contributed to the field of dance education with quality and excellence. Please fill out the NYSDEA 2026 Awards Nomination Form to nominate yourself or a brilliant dance educator for recognition from the New York State Dance Education Association!
Awards Descriptions
Outstanding Dance Educator (Pre-K through 12): This award acknowledges a stellar dance educator from the Pre-K - 12 sector of the membership. The recipient of this award will have an established record of teaching dance in an educational setting.
Outstanding Dance Educator (Private Sector): This award acknowledges a stellar dance educator from the Private Sector of the membership. The recipient of this award will have an established record of teaching dance in an educational setting in the Private Sector.
Outstanding Dance Educator (Teaching Artist): This award acknowledges a stellar dance educator from the Teaching Artist sector of the membership. The recipient of this award will have an established record of teaching dance as a teaching artist through an arts organization.
Outstanding Dance Educator (Post-Secondary): This award acknowledges a stellar dance educator from the Post Secondary sector from the membership. The recipient of this award will have an established record of teaching dance in a post-secondary setting.
Outstanding Leadership: This award is given to an individual who has demonstrated excellence in creating ideas for programs, curriculums, and/or projects that have had a significant impact on the field of dance education and who has demonstrated leadership on a national level. Additionally, the recipient of this award should inspire and cultivate vision and leadership in others.
Outstanding Dance Education Researcher: This award recognizes an individual who has made a unique contribution to the field of dance education through creative and/or scholarly research. The recipient of this award should cultivate the importance of scholarly and creative research throughout the field of dance education.
Lifetime Achievement: The most prestigious award conferred, the Lifetime Achievement Award, is given for exemplary leadership, scholarship and/or artistry, and philanthropy or service to dance education for the past 15 years. Nominees will be evaluated in the following areas:
NYSDEA Graduate Dance Education Participation Award: NYSDEA wishes to acknowledge the efforts of student participation in the dance education community from our graduate members.
Innovative Dance Educator: This award acknowledges a stellar dance educator who develops innovative pedagogy in the dance field. The recipient of this award will have an established record of exemplary leadership and groundbreaking teachings that have a significant impact on dance. This can include (technology, materials, resources)
Diana Domoracki-Kisto Award: Before her passing in 2013, Diana Domoracki-Kisto was a pioneer of dance education in New York City Public Schools with a specialty in teaching and modeling best practices within middle school dance education. She served as the chair for the Dance K-12 Special Interest Group for NDEO; a member of the Professional Development in Dance Education Team for the NYC DOE Office of Arts and Special Projects; a board member of NYSDEA; and the secretary of NDEO's Board of Directors. In memory and honor of Diana Domoracki-Kisto's contribution to the dance community, the NYSDEA board has established a gift to financially assist a Pre-K-12 Dance Educator toward the cost of attending the NDEO conference. Any NYSDEA PreK-12 Dance Educator may apply.
Eligibility Requirements
Nomination Guidelines
Important Additional Information
Outstanding Dance Educator (Private Sector): This award acknowledges a stellar dance educator from the Private Sector of the membership. The recipient of this award will have an established record of teaching dance in an educational setting in the Private Sector.
Outstanding Dance Educator (Teaching Artist): This award acknowledges a stellar dance educator from the Teaching Artist sector of the membership. The recipient of this award will have an established record of teaching dance as a teaching artist through an arts organization.
Outstanding Dance Educator (Post-Secondary): This award acknowledges a stellar dance educator from the Post Secondary sector from the membership. The recipient of this award will have an established record of teaching dance in a post-secondary setting.
Outstanding Leadership: This award is given to an individual who has demonstrated excellence in creating ideas for programs, curriculums, and/or projects that have had a significant impact on the field of dance education and who has demonstrated leadership on a national level. Additionally, the recipient of this award should inspire and cultivate vision and leadership in others.
Outstanding Dance Education Researcher: This award recognizes an individual who has made a unique contribution to the field of dance education through creative and/or scholarly research. The recipient of this award should cultivate the importance of scholarly and creative research throughout the field of dance education.
Lifetime Achievement: The most prestigious award conferred, the Lifetime Achievement Award, is given for exemplary leadership, scholarship and/or artistry, and philanthropy or service to dance education for the past 15 years. Nominees will be evaluated in the following areas:
- Impact and contributions of lifetime achievements to the field of dance.
- Advocacy for the field of dance and dance in education at the national and/or international level.
- Innovativeness of contributions to the arts and dance education.
- Recognition by peers as an influential figure in the dance or dance education communities.
NYSDEA Graduate Dance Education Participation Award: NYSDEA wishes to acknowledge the efforts of student participation in the dance education community from our graduate members.
Innovative Dance Educator: This award acknowledges a stellar dance educator who develops innovative pedagogy in the dance field. The recipient of this award will have an established record of exemplary leadership and groundbreaking teachings that have a significant impact on dance. This can include (technology, materials, resources)
Diana Domoracki-Kisto Award: Before her passing in 2013, Diana Domoracki-Kisto was a pioneer of dance education in New York City Public Schools with a specialty in teaching and modeling best practices within middle school dance education. She served as the chair for the Dance K-12 Special Interest Group for NDEO; a member of the Professional Development in Dance Education Team for the NYC DOE Office of Arts and Special Projects; a board member of NYSDEA; and the secretary of NDEO's Board of Directors. In memory and honor of Diana Domoracki-Kisto's contribution to the dance community, the NYSDEA board has established a gift to financially assist a Pre-K-12 Dance Educator toward the cost of attending the NDEO conference. Any NYSDEA PreK-12 Dance Educator may apply.
Eligibility Requirements
- Nominees must be NDEO/NYSDEA members in good standing. Nominators do not need to be members.
- Nominees must have consistent NDEO/NYSDEA membership of two years or more prior to nomination.
- Student Nominees must be a current member of NDEO/NYSDEA.
- Nominators may nominate only one candidate in each category.
- Previous award recipients must wait 3 years before being nominated again.
Nomination Guidelines
- Obtain permission from the nominee prior to submitting materials.
- Submit all required information via email, including the nomination form, by the published deadline.
- Please be sure to list the nominee's name as they would like it reflected on the award and all published materials.
- Awards recipients are invited to attend our NYSDEA Winter conference to receive their award. The registration fee for awards recipients will be waived. The nominator may be asked to present the award at the NYSDEA award ceremony.
Important Additional Information
- Most Awards include an Honorarium
- Awards will be given only when warranted at the sole discretion of the Awards Committee.
- Special consideration may be given to candidates who have contributed time and energy on behalf of NDEO/NYSDEA.
- The Committee, at its discretion, may hold interviews with appropriate persons from the candidate’s work environment.
- Nominations will not be held over for submission the following year. Only the required and suggested materials will be reviewed. Additional materials will not be forwarded to the evaluation committee.
