IB Diploma Candidate Elise Dehlin ’25 was inducted into the National Honor Society for Dance Arts (NHSDA) with Honors this fall.

A dedicated dancer since six years old, meditative movement has always made sense to Elise who has danced competitively at George School and with her studio for years–mainly practicing ballet, lyrical, and contemporary styles of dance.

 

“Students in the George School Dance Program have the opportunity to be inducted into the National Honors Society of Dance Arts through the National Dance Education Organization to which George School is a member,” shared Dance Teacher Gracie Coscia-Collins '09. “This program recognizes dance students for their outstanding ‘artistic merit, leadership, and academic achievements.’ Students must complete at least 30 hours of dance/art related activities both at school and outside of school. Graduating with honors (like Elise) means that a student has exceeded this requirement.”

 

A committed IB Dance student, Elise has choreographed duos at George School with Gracie, and has performed in multiple shows—including the annual holiday dance performance and the spring show Dance Eclectic. “Elise is an accomplished IB Dance student and a DEDICATED member of the George School Dance Program,” continued Gracie. “A leader and a creative spirit in the classroom, this award is well deserved.”

 

“Gracie has helped me and everyone else in the dance program improve their dancing, and have confidence in ourselves,” said Elise. “She [Gracie] has not only choreographed amazing dance performances, but also values hearing students’ ideas for choreography, which creates performances we are all very proud of.”

 

The IB Dance Program encourages students to really think through their three self-choreographed dances— a solo, duo/trio, and a group piece. Students in the program are required to write an analytical statement about their choreographic process as well as what inspired the dances.

 

For her NHSDA application, Elise applied with her Extended Essay (EE), a core component of the IBDP program and her “Dance Investigation” project. Inspired by feminist dance pioneers of modern dance, Elise decided to research this topic in depth for her EE junior year. “I chose to write the 4,000 word essay on this topic because I realized that I didn’t know much about the history of some of my favorite dance styles, and I really wanted to change that,” commented Elise. “I am [also] currently in the process of writing my ‘Dance Investigation’ on Irish Dance and Russian Ballet.”

 

 

Elise also attended the Penn Live Arts Dance Class in her junior year with two GS Dance friends, Bimby Olaleye ’25 and Dana Bulger ’25, to support her application. It was a class hosted by BODYTRAFFIC Dance Company, and Elise recalls they were among mainly college-aged dancers. “To be in the presence of dancers that were more experienced and had different individual dance styles than the people I’ve been dancing with for the past three years at GS was a great experience,” said Elise. “I learned a lot from the teachers, and from watching other dancers.”

 

Additionally, Elise choreographed a duo with Dana to “Movement,” a song by Hozier, and another dance with Kezi Skeete ’26. “We are very proud of the final results and the combination of our dance styles. The process was a lot of us bouncing ideas off of each other and seeing what fit with the music” said Elise.

 

IB Coordinator Kim McGlynn is proud of Elise’s achievement and recognition. “This is a terrific honor for a hardworking and high-achieving student in IB Dance HL, as well as a wonderful testament to the strength of our IB Dance Program and our talented George School Arts Department,” shared Kim. “Elise is not only a hardworking and high-achieving student in IB Dance HL but also a well-rounded student in our IB Diploma Program and a wonderful community member.”

 

“Since taking helm of the IB Dance program in 2023-2024, Gracie has re-invigorated the curriculum and helped students authentically develop into true artists,” Kim continued. “An accomplished dancer herself, Gracie’s knowledge of her subject, her commitment to professional development, and her engaged teaching style have made the dance studio an incredible space for athleticism and inspired creativity.”

 

Elise is grateful to the GS dance program for pushing her to be her best.

 

“Barb Kibler [former faculty member and dance teacher] and Gracie have inspired me in so many different ways at GS–from making me think outside of the box with different choreography, to helping create some amazing performances."

 

"I have learned so much about dance styles and their histories— and have been exposed to more choreographers— at George School, which has taught me how to make my own dancing style original.”