Nisla Ellis

KIPP Dream Prep, Houston, TX

Ms. Ellis’s dance program redefines how her students view dance. She choreographs pieces that celebrate students’ heritage and cultural identities while using dance to help students process the current social and political climate in a developmentally appropriate way. To see Ms. Ellis and her students in action, watch this video of the KIPP KDP Dream Chasers Dance group!

“Nisla provides her students with the knowledge they need to change the world,” says Haley Simonton-Bonilla, KIPP Dream Prep Principal. “She opens her students’ eyes to their reality and how to thrive within it. She brings social consciousness to her students so that they can better understand the world and their place in the global community.”