Creekview High School dance teacher, Ronelle Eddings, received the award for Master Dance Educator of the Year from the National Dance Society. This award recognizes excellence in dance education of dance professionals. The National Dance Society, or NDS, was established in 2014 to provide leadership in dance and dance education delivery.

According to their website, the NDS is a non-profit organization that envisions a country where each individual is provided a wide range of quality dance education and performances throughout their lifespan. One of the National Dance Society founders, Gladys Keeton, a mentor, and friend of Eddings, nominated her for this distinguished award. "I feel very humbled by this award as I still feel like there is something to learn and improve upon every day," says Eddings. "For the moment, I feel as if it is a confirmation of the philosophy that I teach with, which is that dance is for all people."

Eddings just completed her 28th year of teaching dance in public schools and has been a dance teacher at Creekview High School in CFBISD for the past 18 years. Eddings teaches multiple dance classes at Creekview, including the Moving Ground Dance company, a varsity modern-based company. "Ronelle is a teacher leader on our campus, in our district, and across the great state of Texas and truly at the National Level. We are blessed to have her in CFB and especially at Creekview, where she inspires both students and faculty alike with her professionalism, compassion, and love of her craft," Joseph LaPuma, Creekview's principal, said of Eddings. "It is fitting that she is now being recognized at the National Level for her expertise!" 

In addition to teaching dance at Creekview, Eddings is also a volunteer for NDS working as Chair of the Dance Education Council for the past year and a half. During her time with the National Dance Society, Ms. Eddings has helped produce a conference called Teaching Dance Virtually and assisted in producing the 2021 NDS Conference, which recently took place and was where she received this honor. "I love dance because you can communicate with it. You can put a dance in front of a group of people which can make them laugh or cry because it speaks in the universal language of movement," Eddings said. "My goal is to stay in the classroom as long as possible because that is where the action is! Students exposed to dance for the first time who grow to love it and love themselves through it remind me that this is where I need to be!" 

Congratulations, Ronelle Eddings, on this well-deserved honor!