Dale Dance Scholarship

Positive change in the world thru art inspires and drives me. My art form is dance which has been a part of my life since I was two years old. When I was 12, I wrote in my journal that I wanted to home school, dance full time and be a professional dancer by the time I was 16. Well, it happened but not as I expected. I've learned that the road in life can be filled with unexpected twists and turns. At the age of thirteen, my world changed forever. The steady and secure road I was traveling took an abrupt detour as the voice of one of my greatest fans was silenced. My father was stricken with prostate cancer and passed away. Dance and music became even more important because it provided a way for me release my inner most feelings and focus on something other than the pain I was feeling. Now, I just have my mom who is also a caregiver for my grandmother and I have my older brother. One surreal morning, I received a Snapchat notification from an unknown follower: "Because of you, I didn't kill myself yesterday." She told me she couldn't stop watching and laughing. I already knew I was destined to perform and use my dance, choreography and a multitude of creative talents but that one Snapchat and the last few years have truly given me clarity on my artistic ambition and career path of commercial dance. When I was a freshman, we attended a dance festival. Several schools offered scholarships, but one in particular changed the trajectory of my and my family's life and catapulted me into my dreams. Joffrey Ballet offered me an opportunity to dance full time in either New York or Texas. My family and I sold our home in North Carolina and relocated to Texas where I home schooled and trained for 2 years. The experience at Joffrey Ballet as a pre-professional Jazz Contemporary Trainee was priceless; the experience, extraordinary. After one year of study with Joffrey, I auditioned and was selected to perform for a hip hop competition team and the infamous Dallas Cowboy's Rookie Squad. This was an experience of a lifetime! After I learned that my artistry could save one life, I knew I had to keep developing myself as an artist. I want to uplift and inspire people to think and feel outside of their own worlds. So I will pursue my bachelor of fine arts degree at Hussian College in Los Angeles. It is the only institution that offers commercial dance, combines traditional study with real world immersion and aligns with my ideal life. Although I am academically inclined, have a 3.8 grade point average, aced calculus and chemistry, and could pursue so many different careers, dance and the performing arts are my true calling. I will always work hard, make a positive impact wherever my feet take me, and inspire others to be the best version of themselves.