Leah Longoria Huggins

Leah Huggins dedicated 16 years to public education as Dance Director and Performing Arts Department Chair at Sunset High School in Oak Cliff, Dallas, Texas. She began her journey as a high school cheerleader and drill team member, pursued dance in college at Texas Woman's University and Collin College, taught at studios, and danced professionally before building a thriving program at Sunset. Under her leadership the dance department expanded from 76 to 300 students, two additional staff members were hired, and a new 4,000 square foot space was secured. Huggins has presented multiple times at the Texas Dance Educators Association conference on topics including Ballet Folklorico, parent management, and nutrition. She serves on the board of the Texas Association of Dance and Culture and co-founded the North Texas Ballet Folklorico contest for high school students, now in its fifth or sixth year and sponsored by the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Her contributions have been recognized with the runner-up Teacher of the Year award in 2020 and the PIE Award for Presence, Initiative, and Engagement. Huggins recently retired in May to transition careers while continuing to mentor young girls and support dance nonprofits in Texas.