Olivia Lopez Garners
Sandi Bloomberg Scholarship
Olivia Lopez is on a roll. The happy, positive thinking and exceedingly talented Huntington High School senior is unstoppable. The teenager has compiled a sterling academic record, impressed teachers and classmates with her leadership qualities and gained a reputation as a marvelous dancer.
The founder and president of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, Ms. Lopez is this year’s recipient of the Sandi Bloomberg Scholarship for Dance. The $1,000 award was presented to the Huntington senior during the annual meeting of the Huntington Arts Council.
Ms. Lopez is headed to Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business in Boston where she plans to double major in economics and business administration. She is even considering a minor in dance or dance education.
“It is a huge honor to receive such a generous award,” Ms. Lopez said. “I am so grateful to the board of the Huntington Arts Council and to Sandi Bloomberg. I am excited to continue dance at Northeastern next year.”
President of Huntington’s French Honor Society, Latin Honor Society and United Amigos club, Ms. Lopez is also a member of the National Honor Society and the Math, English and Social Studies Honor Societies.
Ms. Lopez has been a key member of the Highsteppers, Huntington High School’s competitive dance team. Her parents own a dance studio and she is constantly improving her craft.
The summer will be a busy time for Ms. Lopez. She will be teaching dance classes and working in summer camps at Variations, her parent’s dance studio on Spring Road. She will also be taking a variety of dance classes. “I look forward to spending the next few months hanging out with my friends before we all head off to college,” she said.
Sandi Bloomberg’s dance career includes owning North Shore Studio of Dance in Huntington Station for 25 years and serving as its artistic director. She has been director and choreographer of her own company, the North Shore Dance Theatre, featured annually at the Huntington Summer Arts Festival in Heckscher Park, as well as many Long Island schools and libraries.
A former Radio City Rockette who holds a BA degree in English and theater arts from Adelphi University, Ms. Bloomberg recently had her poetry and short stories published in several literary magazines. She is also an author of children’s books and former president of the Huntington Arts Council board of directors.