Two Blake High School Students Chosen as All-State Dancers for Maryland

Two James Hubert Blake High School students have been accepted as All-State Dancers for Maryland. Neive Carr and Niambi Mills were selected out of 108 dancers who auditioned at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). These talented dancers are the only students from MCPS to earn this prestigious distinction in 2024. Only 26 were chosen for the All-State honor.

This festival will highlight the finest student dancers from across the state in an evening of performances. It also marks the first time these students will perform at the showcase. Both students have a deep love and appreciation for dance.

"My biggest inspiration behind dance is probably just showcasing my passion to everyone else," said Carr, who is a senior. "As a dancer in a competitive studio, I've watched all the older kids branch out into the world, and I hope to be like them one day."

Mills, who is also a senior, said she pushes forward as a Black ballet dancer, inspired by Misty Copeland, the first African American woman of the American Ballet Theater to be promoted to principal dancer.

"I really looked up to her as a Black dancer in a predominantly white space of ballet as an art form. So she's really inspired me to keep pushing,” said Mills.

Danielle D'Anna, dance teacher at Blake High School, nominated Carr and Mills for the showcase, recognizing their well-rounded skills and the growth they’ve shown through years of dedication to the school’s program.

"What I noticed is not just their technique, but their creativity in the classroom when they're creating their own works of art," said D'Anna. "What I love to see is students who are performing strong technically but also have this creative side that they can use to show who they are as a form of self-expression."

Mills and Carr will perform at the Maryland State Dance Festival and Showcase on Jan. 10, 2025, at Goucher College.

"It's really important as an educator that we're trying to teach this art form as a form of self-communication," said D'Anna. "And it's not just getting up and being an athlete and learning the skills, but how you take those skills and then create artwork that communicates a story."