Meet Jayde Hosley: Winner of the Kennedy George and Ava Holloway Dance for Change Scholarship
The annual Kennedy George and Ava Holloway Dance for Change Scholarship was created to recognize and financially support young dancers who are changemakers in their school or community.
Jayde Hosley, a 7-year-old ballerina, won the award this year. When Jayde began dancing, she took lessons in ballet, tap, hip-hop. Now she practices jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, acro, and tap. Today, she dances with Industry Dance Studio in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Related: Meet Destiny Wimpye: A 2021 Brown Girls Do Ballet Micro Grant Winner
Photo: Jefriene Lancaster
As a dancer, Jayde is mostly inspired by her teachers but admires Misty Copeland as well. “I know she really loves dancing. She moved in with her teacher. That showed me she really loves dancing and she doesn’t want to stop,” Jayde said in our interview with her last week. When asked if she shares Misty’s passion for dancing, Jayde nodded eagerly and with certainty.
Jayde applied for the Kennedy George and Ava Holloway Dance for Change Scholarship to help cover immediate dance costs. “I really want to do good in competitions and dance,” she said, “and dance is pretty expensive.”
It’s important to Jayde to pursue her dance career because she has big dreams for herself and the dance community. “I would love to go on Broadway and tour, but when I have a studio, I want to have a big studio and I want it to be for people with or without disabilities,” she said. “I know some people with or without disabilities feel like, ‘I can’t dance because I’m going to feel embarrassed like they’re gonna bully me,’ but no, I don’t want them to feel like that.”
Created by ballerinas and activists Ava Holloway and Kennedy George, the history behind this annual scholarship relates to Jayde’s dreams of making space for marginalized populations. During the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, the two young activists posed for in front of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s graffiti-covered statue in Richmond, VA before it was torn down. The photo went viral, becoming an iconic representation of resilience, beauty, and self-expression during the protests. Funds from the photo sales are what fund the scholarship.
Related: Young Changemakers: Ava Holloway and Kennedy George
Jayde hopes other dancers will feel empowered enough to pursue their dance goals, no matter what obstacles they may face. “Believe in your dream of dancing. If you have a disability or don’t have one, just believe in yourself,” she said. “You can dance!”
The annual Kennedy George and Ava Holloway Dance for Change Scholarship is awarded to female dancers of color ages 6-16 who have registered for a year-long dance program. Visit our scholarships page to learn about all of our scholarships and grants today!
Sending a special thank you to our incredible donors who make the work we do possible!