February 8, 2008: LVAIC The Lehigh Valley Area of Independent Colleges (Cedar Crest College, DeSales University, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, and Moravian University)* Dance Consortium inducted Tahya into its distinguished list of dancers. Truly honored, it left her feeling like a celebrity at the reception where nearly all the Lehigh Valley’s distinguished dancers, dance educators and dance presenters filled the room.
*The LVAIC Consortium was founded in 1969 and is one of the oldest collegiate consortiums in the country. The LVAIC Dance Consortium was founded in 1975 and is the LVAIC’s longest-running sub-group boasting the region’s excellent dance calendar and laudable annual award. 2025 will mark the 50th year anniversary of the LVAIC Dance Consortium.
In Tahya’s 2008 acceptance speech thanks were extended to Karen Dearborn, Marilyn Roberts and Muhlenberg College Theatre & Dance for hosting and producing a brilliant night of dance! She further acknowledged how blessed she considers herself to be living in a community where dance is so highly regarded, celebrated, and graced with many highly talented choreographers, dancers and dance educators not to mention enthusiastic presenters & audiences!
My interactions with women of all ages here in the Lehigh Valley have contributed to what I can only describe as an evolving philosophy of beauty: Because it is beautiful to witness a young girl scout delicately rotating her wrists for the first time, hinting at the woman soon to bloom. It is beautiful to see a cancer survivor gently lift a veil so that her spirit once again floats like a butterfly. And it is beautiful to watch women transcend the life’s daily challenges connecting with one another and our common heritage through the circular patterns of Middle and Far Eastern dance traditions. And to me, there is nothing more beautiful than rediscovering & igniting the creative essence within.
~ Tahya, 2008 LVAIC Dance Consortium Award Acceptance Speech