
- #Pacific northwest ballet summer intensive how to#
- #Pacific northwest ballet summer intensive update#
Ultimately, Abeo says that the majority of her funding came from people she knew.Ī number of foundations offer need- and merit-based scholarships that can be applied to any summer intensive. And don’t be afraid to tell everyone you know about your page, both through social media and in person. If you’re hesitant to ask for donations, ask for jobs like Abeo did.
#Pacific northwest ballet summer intensive update#
Offer something to sponsors in return for their donations, such as a weekly update email about your experience at the intensive. Upload photos and maybe even a video about your summer goals. Showing your personality on your donation profile is key.
#Pacific northwest ballet summer intensive how to#
(Most sites include tutorials on how to use their particular setup most effectively.) On some sites, you must reach your goal to receive any of the money your supporters have pledged, but on most, the donated funds are deposited directly into your bank account regardless of whether you meet your goal. To crowdfund your summer, sign up on a site, set a funding goal and deadline and write a personal statement. While the most famous site, Kickstarter, is meant for groups and specific projects, sites like Indiegogo, GoFundMe and RocketHub allow individuals to launch campaigns for almost anything. The concept of crowdfunding, or accumulating donations from many small sponsors, isn’t new, but the internet has revolutionized its potential. Madison Abeo with other Pacific Northwest Ballet School students in the 2013 School Performance of an excerpt from “Serenade,” choreography by George Balanchine. Most dancers who want it badly enough can make it happen. You can also apply for need- or merit-based grants and scholarships, either through your summer program or an outside foundation. Case in point: On Kickstarter, dance projects have the highest success rate of any type of campaign, with dancers receiving over $4 million in donations through the site since it began. There are a surprising number of eager dance supporters out there. By June, Abeo had raised enough for tuition-plus plenty of pointe shoes.Īffording your dream intensive isn’t as difficult as you might think. Two local dancewear businesses, Vala Dancewear and Class Act Tutu, offered to outfit her for fundraising photos, which a photographer took for her Facebook page for free. At the suggestion of her aunt, Abeo created a Facebook fan page where she asked for opportunities to babysit or perform odd jobs, and included a link to a PayPal account where friends and family could make donations. For many families, a trip to a dream summer intensive simply isn’t in the budget. “I really wanted to go,” she says, “but we just couldn’t make the other half of it work.”īallet training is expensive. But then she added up the remaining cost for the program and realized she didn’t have the funds. When Pacific Northwest Ballet School student Madison Abeo was accepted into San Francisco Ballet School’s summer session on a partial scholarship, she was thrilled. This story originally appeared in the December 2013/January 2014 issue of Pointe.
