Fifth Biennial National High School Dance Festival at Point Park University Welcomes 2,100 Participants and Generates More Than $2 Million for Downtown Pittsburgh Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Students and faculty from Newtown High School of the Performing Arts in Australia attended the 2025 National High School Dance Festival. Photo by Randall Coleman.
For 34 years, the National High School Dance Festival (NHSDF) has remained the largest of its kind in the U.S., showcasing excellence in high school dance programming from around the world.
The fifth biennial NHSDF at Point Park University — held Feb. 26 to March 2 — welcomed a record-breaking 2,100 attendees and is estimated to have generated more than $2 million in economic activity for Downtown Pittsburgh.
"Hosting NHSDF since 2016 is a tremendous honor and holds much significance for Point Park," said Garfield Lemonius, dean of the School of Dance and artistic director of the Conservatory of Performing Arts. "It speaks to our commitment not only to aspiring young artists, dance education and to an art form that truly celebrates the human spirit, uniting us all, but also to our support and dedication to community engagement at the local, national and international level."
"I would like to thank Dean Lemonius and the marvelous team at Point Park for their extraordinary efforts in hosting their fifth consecutive festival in Pittsburgh," said Dr. Kathryn Kearns, NHSDF founder and executive director. "NHSDF has gained an outstanding reputation for embracing and perpetuating the highest standard for quality in dance education in the high schools across our nation. We must credit this to everyone associated with the festivals over the past 34 years."
NHSDF Celebrates All Things Dance
The 2025 festival included scholarship auditions for 70 university/college dance programs and summer intensives, including Point Park, more than 200 master classes and workshops in the University's state-of-the-art facilities, plus Gala, Showcase, Embedded and Outstanding Student Choreography Concerts.
New this year, the Opening and Closing Ceremonies were held at the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, conveniently located within walking distance to campus.
"My students had a wonderful time getting to audition and take new classes at NHSDF," said Amber Romano, dance faculty member at the Governor's School for the Arts in Virginia. "They were skipping around the streets of Downtown Pittsburgh and are so fulfilled because of this festival."
Opening Ceremony Features BODYTRAFFIC
BODYTRAFFIC — a premier Los Angeles-based contemporary dance company led by Artistic Director Tina Finkelman Berkett — performed at the Opening Ceremony, taught four master classes at NHSDF and held auditions for Point Park seniors before the festival. BODYTRAFFIC also had a public performance at the Byham Theater in February.
"This was an unbelievable opportunity to be a part of NHSDF," said Finkelman Berkett. "There's a lot of experience and wisdom that our dancers can pass on, and we are always looking to find ways to impact the next generation of dancers."
Dance Educator Honored at Opening Ceremony
Stephanie Powell, a faculty member at G.W. Carver Center for Arts and Technology in Maryland, received the 2025 Outstanding Service Award at this year's Opening Ceremony. Powell has been a dance educator for 42 years and has attended NHSDF since 2006.
"It's a great honor to receive this award," said Powell. "This award is not just for me; it's for all of the teachers at this festival. NHSDF has allowed me to meet teachers from all over the country, and we've built a dance community worldwide."
NHSDF Welcomes Participants from Around the World
Hailing from Australia, Hawaii and across the U.S., more than 1,600 students from 100 high schools traveled to Pittsburgh for NHSDF. In the videos below, participants share what they enjoy most about NHSDF at Point Park.
Newtown High School of the Performing Arts, Australia
Mid-Pacific Institute School of the Arts, Hawaii
Booker T. Washington HSVPA, Texas
2025 NHSDF Photo Gallery
Photos by Sara Bobulinski and Ethan Stoner '25
KDKA: High Schoolers Visit Point Park for National Dance Festival
NHSDF 2027
Point Park University is thrilled to once again host NHSDF in 2027. Stay tuned for additional details and announcements.
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