Brown Girls Do Ballet Highlights 2020
As we reflect on what a bizarre year it’s been, we can’t let the holidays pass without taking the time to appreciate some of our highlights this year. Our supporters have made so many of our wishes come true by helping to make a huge positive impact on the lives of young ballerinas nationwide.
This year, we raised over $60,000 in donations, which is the most we’ve ever raised in any given year in the past! Our donations are used to provide ballet opportunities and supplies to young dancers of color or those in underserved communities. We’ll touch more on that later!
In the meantime, here are some of the biggest donations we received:
Brown Girls Do Ballet Founder TaKiyah Wallace was featured on the Kelly Clarkson Show, where she was surprised with a visit from Misty Copeland and a $5,000 donation from LOL Surprise Dolls.
Giving Tuesday, an annual event where people proudly donate to meaningful organizations, resulted in $12,000 in donations.
North Texas Giving Day, an 18-hour online event that encourages citizens of North Texas to donate to local non-profit organizations, resulted in $5,392 in donations.
Black Giving Day, created by the Young, Black & Giving Back Institute (YBGB), promotes financial donations for Black-led and Black-benefiting nonprofits. Our organization received $2,200 in donations during the annual event.
Brown Girls Do Ballet is an organization committed to making the art of ballet accessible to ballerinas of black and brown backgrounds. Thanks to our dedicated supporters, we were able to provide a plethora of scholarships, supplies, and other assistance to ballerinas in need this year. Remember we wouldn’t be able to do any of these great things without your help. For that, we are beyond grateful!
This year, we awarded…
7 Summer Intensive Scholarships
The annual Brown Girls Do Ballet Summer Intensive Scholarship is awarded to female dancers of color, ages 9-18, who have registered for a summer intensive program. The scholarship covers the additional costs associated with dance needs, such as pointe shoes, leotard, travel expenses, and more.
2 College Scholarships
Annual college scholarships are awarded to full-time college undergraduate students across any field of study - meaning one doesn’t have to be a dancer to qualify.
3 Small Studio Grants
The Small Studio Grant, initiated in 2013, assists in the development of ballerinas in smaller dance programs deserving of additional funding to aid in their programs. The grant is awarded to a small studio or school providing ballet classes to primarily underserved populations.
2 Micro Grants
Our Micro Grant Program is designed to increase access to and opportunity for education, travel, and professional tools for small dance programs and dancers year-round.
2 Kennedy George and Ava Holloway Scholarships for Change
This scholarship is awarded to female dancers of color ages 6-16 who have registered for a year-long dance program. This program recognizes young dancers who are changemakers in their school or community who would not otherwise be able to dance without financial assistance. The scholarship covers program tuition as well as additional costs associated with dance needs.
Related: Young Changemakers: Ava Holloway and Kennedy George
2 Year-Round Program Scholarships
5 Fall Program Sponsorships
Dance lessons and college expenses can quickly add up, crushing the dreams of ballerinas of color who can not easily access the resources necessary to thrive in the dance world. Our scholarships and grants are awarded to young ballerinas and small studios in an attempt to bridge the economic gap between dancers and their craft. Learn more about our scholarships here.
This year, we partnered with…
Variation En Hue
Young ballerina Quincy Wilson partnered with Brown Girls Do Ballet to collect unused costumes, as well as tights and leotards in various skin tones. The supplies are then donated to various studios throughout the country.
Related: Young Changemaker Series: Quincy Wilson of Variation En Hue
Transformación Ballet
Our It Takes a Village campaign was created to help publicize crowdfunding efforts for different ballet organizations. Transformación Ballet provides free dance classes to Guatemalan children in orphanages and children who come from low-income or high-trauma families. Outside of dance lessons, the ministry offers workshops on faith and health. We partnered with the organization to help them raise funds while navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.
Related: Far Beyond Dance: Interview with Transformación Ballet Founder Christine Tjahjadi-Lopez
We also collaborated with 4 summer programs to provide in-kind partnerships.
By partnering with small studios, dance teachers, and young ballerinas who hold a passion for making an impact in their communities, we are able to provide a platform to help amplify their purpose.
This year, we purchased...
26 Pairs of Pointe Shoes
Since October, we purchased 26 pairs of ballet pointe shoes, which can each cost an average of $65-$120. Each pair lasts for up to 12 hours of dancing, which means dancers can go through multiple pairs a year. Our Pointe Shoe Program helps offset the significant costs of ballet pointe shoes by donating pointe shoes to ballerinas in need. Additionally, we work to find pointe shoes in darker skin tones so that ballerinas of all shades can find their true match.
8 Ballet Barres
Ballet barres are an essential component in any ballerina’s training. They help with posture, balance, and technique, and are used in almost every practice or dance lesson.
This year, we sold…
The Bella Box
The Bella Box, which is a box filled with curated Brown Girls Do Ballet branded products or sponsored partner gifts, was introduced to our shop this year. The Bella Box comes in two styles: Principal and Prima. All proceeds from the Bella Box sales are used to purchase dance supplies for ballerinas in need. Depending on which style you purchase, you could cover the price of a basic leotard and tights or a pair of pointe shoes.
Press and Involvements
We were proudly featured in the Adidas Game Changer Series this year, which profiled nonconforming culture influencers who are shattering the status quo.
We’re excited to be a part of Facebook’s newly launched program, We The Culture, which spotlights and supports Black creatives.
As you can see, we’ve had quite the year. Despite all of the challenges, grief, and life-changing adjustments we’ve all had to endure, taking time to highlight our blessings is a must! None of this would be possible without the help of our supporters. We cannot thank you all enough!
We still have a long way to go on our journey of providing representation and opportunities for ballerinas of color, and we have a lot more in store! We welcome you to learn more about our organization and consider supporting our mission.
Stay safe and healthy this holiday season!