2022 Mid-Year Scholarship & Grant Update
The mission of Brown Girls Do Ballet® is to help increase participation of underrepresented populations in ballet programs through organizing and arranging ballet performances, photo exhibitions, and providing resources and scholarships to assist young girls in their ballet development and training.
That is why, each year, we distribute several scholarships and grants to dancers (and non-dancers) from a wide range of backgrounds and ages. Awardees typically use the funding to help cover college tuition costs, dance lesson fees, expenses for dancewear and dance supplies, or they might invest in their own business or dance organization.
Keep reading for a brief recap on some of the grants and scholarships we’ve awarded so far this year!
Brown Girls Do Ballet Micro Grant
This program is designed to increase access to - and opportunity for - education, travel, and professional tools for small dance programs and dancers year-round. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed quarterly by a panel of jurors (i.e., end of March, June, September, and December).
Photo: Destiny Wimpye; shot by Dan Lao
Destiny W., one of this year’s grant winners, started dancing at 3, when she and her family lived in Georgia. She began with competition dancing until she was 9 years old. Next, she moved to Los Angeles and to dance with Debbie Allen Dance Academy, and later, the Colburn Dance Academy. Today, Destiny dances with the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle. She is a two-time winner of the Micro Grant, and continues to use the funding to cover the cost of classes and living. Learn more about Destiny in her interview here.
Photo: Savannah Bullard; shot by David Hofmann
Savannah B. was our other Micro Grant awardee for 2022. She started learning ballet at a small, local studio where her older siblings trained. She was often inspired by the work ethic held by dancers she grew up admiring on social media. Savannah is a Brown Girls Do Ballet Ambassador and serves as a mentor for our community of dancers of color. She learned about the Micro Grant from an announcement on our Instagram page, and decided to apply in hopes to secure funding for college. Learn more about Savannah here.
Brown Girls Do Ballet Tiny Dancer Scholarship
This year, we launched the Tiny Dancer Scholarship to provide full-year ballet tuition to very young dancers to help spark or fuel their dance dreams. The scholarship, which accepts applicants as young as 4-years-old, is sponsored by The Tutu School.
Photo: Gianna S.; shot by Katie Wilcox
Photo: Rebekah B.; shot by Antoinette Burns, Leaping Portraits Photography
Our inaugural winners were 7-year-old Gianna S., and 9-year-old Rebekah B. We interviewed them both to learn what their dance dreams are - so inspiring! You can check out the full article here.
To learn more about our scholarships, grants, and other funding opportunities, visit our website’s scholarship page. You can also keep an eye out for updates on our Instagram page.
To donate to Brown Girls Do Ballet and provide funding for a young ballerina’s goals, click here!