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Awards Guidelines & Required Materials
National Award Rubric
Submit Award Nominations Here
Individual Award Application
Outstanding Organization Application
Posthumous Lifetime Achivement Application
Read on to learn more about each of NDEO's National Award Categories in 2026.
The Lifetime Achievement Award honors a dance educator who has demonstrated excellence in one or more of the following areas of service to dance education: exemplary leadership, research, artistry, scholarship, and/or philanthropy. The honoree will have contributed to the field of dance education at the national and / or international levels for a period of at least fifteen (15) years. The Lifetime Achievement Award is the most prestigious award the organization confers.
Lifetime Achievement - Living Artist / Educator
Lifetime Achievement - Posthumous
These awards are given to an individual who has demonstrated excellence in creating ideas for programs, curriculums, and/or projects that have had a significant impact on their specific area or sector of dance education and who has demonstrated leadership on a local, state, regional, national and/or international level. Additionally, the recipient of this award should inspire and cultivate vision and leadership in others.
Outstanding Leadership Award in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Outstanding Leadership Award in Higher Education
Outstanding Leadership Award in PK-12
Outstanding Leadership Award in Dance Studios
This award acknowledges stellar emerging (5 years or less experience) & established (6 years or more of experience) dance educators who teach in various sectors. The recipient of this award should inspire and motivate their students and have a significant impact in their learning community
Outstanding Dance Educator - PK-12 - Established (6+ years of experience)
Outstanding Dance Educator - Dance Studios - Emerging (less than 5 years of experience)
Outstanding Dance Educator - Higher Education - Emerging (less than 5 years of experience)
Outstanding Dance Educator - PK-12 - Emerging (less than 5 years of experience)
This award recognizes an individual who has made a unique contribution to the field of dance education through creative and/or scholarly research.
Outstanding Dance Education Researcher
This award recognizes an exceptional dance organization that is either non-profit or private sector that has been established for at least five years. This organization has made a unique and impactful contribution to the community, at a local, national and/or international level through the field of dance education through creative and/or scholarly efforts. This organization has made a social impact and has a commitment to and awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Outstanding Dance Organization Award