[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 33 (Friday, February 23, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E177]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING NEALYA IRIS BRUNSON AS A DISTINGUISHED LEADER IN CENTRAL 
                    FLORIDA FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DARREN SOTO

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 23, 2024

  Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, Ms. Nealya Iris Brunson is the dance director 
for the Osceola County School for the Arts, where she has dedicated 20 
years to educating students in dance and the arts. Some of her 
contributions to student success include attending the National High 
School Dance Festivals in Miami and Philadelphia, as well as the 
Regional High School Dance Festivals in Norfolk, Virginia, where 
students received college acceptances and scholarships. Additional 
contributions include attending the Florida Dance Education 
Organization and Florida Dance Performance Assessment, where students 
in middle and high school received superior and excellent ratings in 
the areas of dance, technique, and performance. Over the years, Ms. 
Brunson has taught many students who have demonstrated outstanding 
achievements and have become professional dancers, artists, teachers, 
and choreographers nationally and internationally.
  Ms. Brunson has served as a dance program coordinator, choreographed 
dances for many dance and theater programs, and served as a dance 
adjudicator in several public schools, universities, and performing 
arts centers, primarily in the state of Florida.
  Ms. Brunson's training in dance began at B.J.'s School of Dance in 
St. Petersburg, Florida, under the direction of Barbara Hodges. She 
continued to study dance at the Pinellas County School for the Arts at 
Gibbs High School and at St. Petersburg College, CoMotion Dance 
Theater. Ms. Brunson received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the 
University of Florida, New World School of the Arts in Miami, Florida, 
under the direction of Daniel Lewis. She also received a Master of Arts 
in Dance from the American University in Washington, D.C., under the 
direction of Dr. Niama Prevots.
  Ms. Brunson enjoys teaching the elements of dance, which is a major 
component of her dance classes. She will be releasing her first book 
titled, ``Goals of Dance Technique: A Dancers Workbook,'' later this 
year.
  On February 22, 2024, Nealya Iris Brunson was honored as a 
distinguished leader in Central Florida for Black History Month.