Northfield Mount Hermon recognized the newest members of the NMH chapter of the National Honors Society of Dance Arts on Oct. 18. The NHSDA recognizes students enrolled in the dance program who display outstanding artistic merit and leadership in their chosen medium, as well as high academic achievement.
Students earn membership in NHSDA through the accumulation of points, which are awarded based on merit for their dance work, in accordance with the honor society’s guidelines and in combination with their academic GPA. Students inducted into the society have demonstrated collaborative teamwork, motivation, and leadership in numerous aspects of their dance careers at NMH.
This year’s inductees include Maren Batchelder ’26, Lanie Blanton ’25, Isabelle Eaton-Neubert ’25, Bonnie He ’27, and Eva Ren ’27. They join current NHSDA members Nikolaus Erdos ’25 and Izi Valdevit ’25.
“Being inducted into the National Honor Society for Dance Arts is a significant achievement that recognizes both artistic growth and dedication to the dance community,” said Gretel Schatz, chair of NMH’s Performing Arts Department and the director of the dance program. “It signifies a commitment to excellence in dance, leadership, and academic performance and emphasizes the importance of dance as a vital form of expression and discipline.”
Bonnie He said she had nearly given up on dance prior to coming to NMH. “I never expected for a hobby to become successful,” she said. “Being accepted into this team was life-changing, because it was finally like, I danced, worked hard, and was recognized for it.”
Maren Batchelder said that while she had danced at a large studio for years prior to her arrival at NMH, “I never actually felt acknowledged for how long I’d been there.” Being inducted into NHSDA was special, she added, “because it shows how hard I worked. It was really nice to be acknowledged here for how long I've been dancing.”
Both students credited the strong sense of community and support they’ve found in the NMH dance program for helping them to set and achieve high standards for themselves.
“I think community is one of the major highlights of dance,” said He. “Not only do we get to perform with amazing costume sets and lighting designers, [but] I think my best friends are all from the dance company. It’s a community in which we support each other, no matter our experiences.”
Batchelder concurred, noting the individual attention each dancer gets at NMH. “At my old studio, since there were so many people, it was kind of just a showcase of your skills,” she said, “but here, I feel like it's much more open and supportive – like each kind of dance has its own story to it. It’s much more connected, because I think we have that really strong community.”
— By Max Hunt