Winthrop Alumna Katelyn Haney Wins State Dance Educator of the Year Award (11/06/25)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Katelyn Haney was recently named the 2025 South Carolina Dance Educator of the Year by the South Carolina Dance Association (SCDA), an association under the South Carolina Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (SCAHPERD).
• Haney, who has been the dance teacher at Eau Claire for three and a half years, will receive recognition at the annual SCAHPERD conference, which is being held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA - Eau Claire High School dance teacher Katelyn Haney '20 will be honored Nov. 14 with a state award.

She was recently named the 2025 South Carolina Dance Educator of the Year by the South Carolina Dance Association (SCDA), an association under the South Carolina Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (SCAHPERD). The award recognizes a dance teacher who exemplifies the best practices in teaching dance education curriculum and is a strong role model for students.

Haney, who has been the dance teacher at Eau Claire for three and a half years, will receive recognition at the annual SCAHPERD conference, which is being held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

At Eau Claire, dance is provided as an elective class, much like physical education and art. Students who express interest in dance sign up and then audition to move up in the dance courses, which focus mostly on hip-hop, jazz, contemporary/lyrical and modern.

"Winning the SCDA Dance Educator of the Year Award is a deeply meaningful honor," said Haney. "It represents not only recognition from peers and leaders in the dance education community but also a validation of the passion, dedication and countless hours poured into teaching, inspiring and nurturing students through dance. It affirms that the impact made in the classroom and beyond truly matters- that empowering students through movement, creativity and discipline can leave a lasting impression."

At Winthrop, she found a place to learn and grow as she majored in dance performance with a minor in coaching. "From the first time I stepped foot on campus to the last, I knew Winthrop was my home," she said. "I am now blessed to have sent my own dancers/students to Winthrop to be students and am ushering in a new group now.

"Winthrop has always been #1 in my heart," she said. "It brought me many life lessons, friends and memories that I will hold forever."

For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at [email protected].