top of page

 Opening Ceremonies & Gala Performance 

BODYTRAFFIC, a renowned Los Angeles-based dance company, will perform as part of the 2025 NHSDF Opening Ceremonies.

Thank you to Complexions Contemporary Ballet for their outstanding performance at the 2023 NHSDF Opening Ceremonies. 

NHS.heic
Complexions_edited.jpg
DF.heic

 2023 NHSDF Outstanding Service Award Recipient 

Screen Shot 2023-03-09 at 7.15.41 PM.png

Jackie Sacks holds a BS degree in Dance Education and English from Illinois State University and an MS degree in Dance from the University of Oregon. In 2003, she was awarded a Surdna Foundation fellowship to study flamenco in Spain.


From 2001-04 Mrs. Sacks was the President of the Dance Educators Association of Washington. Since 1998, she has taught at Vancouver School of Arts and Academics in Vancouver, WA. She was awarded a grant from the Dizzy Feet Foundation to support free dance education in public schools and continues to engage in arts advocacy by advising and writing dance standards and assessments for the state of Washington. She enjoys collaborating, interdisciplinary explorations, and supporting opportunities with professional artists to further her students’ experiences. In partnership with Portland, OR presenters White Bird, school guest artists have included Kyle Abraham and Abraham in Motion, Hubbard Street, Lar Lubovitch Co, Dayton Contemporary, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Co, and the Graham Dance Co. Vancouver School of Arts and Academics dancers have gone on to dance on Broadway, for Nederlands Dans Theater I & II, Northwest Dance Theatre, Bodyvox, numerous ballet companies, theme parks and cruise ships. Many are now amazing dance teachers!

Her affiliation with the National High School Dance Festival began in the early 2000s when she brought students to Miami with former colleague, Fern Tresvan. It is a delight to watch students who attended the NHSDF go on to pursue careers in dance including Franco Nieto, now the artistic director of Open Space Dance Company in Portland, OR. Her relationship with the festival was elevated when she agreed to organize the first Northwest Regional High School Dance Festival in 2019 and, despite many hurdles due to Covid restrictions, she spear-headed a 2nd very successful (and only) NHSDF festival in late February 2022...

​

Congratulations Jackie!

bottom of page