Gabby Flanders Summer of Dance 2016
October 28, 2016
I moved the video of Gabby's ballet solo here, so that I could update the main photo.
Greetings family and friends !
It is time to start preparing for Gabby's summer of 2016 dance adventures. Thank you to everyone who helped make last year's adventures in New York City possible. It was an amazing time for her, and she is ready for new adventures this summer.
We know that there are many people in the world with far greater and more important needs than a summer dance program. Go Fund Me is full of stories that will tear at your heart, and we know that we are asking for help with a "want," and not a "need." For some that we have contacted, this is just a fun way to send you Gabby's most recent videos and photos, to keep you up-to-date. If you can't help, or prefer not to, we certainly understand ... we just hope not to offend by asking.
This fundraiser covers all the expenses that we have encountered so far. Some we have already paid and some are due soon. As the full summer plan becomes apparent, we will keep you posted, and add to this Go Fund Me campaign.
Gabby has earned several scholarships for this summer already:
100% merit scholarship from In Studio Dance for their Summer Dance Intensive, which Gabby will be attending July 18 - 22, in Irvine, California. This scholarship covers full tuition for the one week program, and is worth $400. The scholarship doesn't cover room and board, or transportation.
Link to In Studio's Summer Intensive 2016
50% merit scholarship from Los Angeles Ballet Academy (LABA) for their California Summer Dance Intensive, in Encino, California. Gabby will be attending July 11 - 15, and July 25 - August 5. The scholarship covers 50% of the tuition, and is worth $750. The scholarship doesn't cover room and board, or transportation.
Link to Los Angeles Ballet Academy's California Summer Dance Intensive 2016
50% merit scholarship from Hollywood Dance Jamz convention to attend Dance Ideas Seminar, in Burbank, California. Gabby will be participating in workshops for assistant dance teachers July 23 and 24. The scholarship covers 50% of the tuition, and is worth $150. The scholarship doesn't cover room and board, or transportation, but since it is so close to Gabby's grandparents' house, we can probably stay there.
Link to Dance Ideas Seminar 2016
25% merit scholarship from Joffrey Ballet School (JBS) for any of their ballet intensives. This is the same ballet school that Gabby has attended the past two summers: three weeks in San Francisco, 2014, and four weeks in New York City, 2015. In the past they have given Gabby a 5 - 10% financial aid scholarship. At this point, we are unsure if we can take advantage of this offer from JBS.
Link to Joffrey Ballet School's various summer programs
May 25 update: Joffrey offered to up the scholarship to 50% of tuition, but that would still leave $4000 to cover room and board, various registration and chaperone fees, plus transportation to New York ... so we decided to pass on this offer. Maybe next year ...
Here is our current need list. Items that have been paid for with Gabby's paychecks, various scholarships, and donations received are noted as "paid." Our main need now is to pay for the room and board at the Los Angeles Ballet Academy's intensive.
$315 to cover registration fees for Showbiz Dance Competition Nationals in Pasadena, June 17 - 21. This will be Gabby's first time competing in a national level dance event. Now paid !!! Link to Showbiz Nationals. Now paid !!!
$370 actual food, parking, and gas costs for Nationals in Pasadena. Now paid !!!
$300 estimated hotel cost for Nationals in Pasadena. NO LONGER NEEDED: Thank you, Dad and Connie, for letting us stay at your place, saving us a bundle of money!
$100 actual cost for private lessons to rehearse for Nationals. Now paid !!!
June 24 update: All of that work for Showbiz Nationals in Pasadena paid off; here is a video clip of the opening number for the finale. Gabby is in two sections, but easiest to spot at 1:14 coming on stage on the left side. Then again at 3:08 in a trio on pointe.
$179 to reserve our AirBnb accomodations for the In Studio Dance intensive in Irvine NO LONGER NEEDED: our AirBnb reservation was cancelled by the hosts, and our dear friends, Chip and Eddie Clark, are going to host us in their home, saving us the $179!
$400 estimated food cost for Gabby and Teri during In Studio Dance intensive
$700 estimated choreography fee and studio rental fee with In Studio teacher NOW PAID !!!
$713 final payment for the LABA intensive, due by June 10th (if we can pay the balance before May 10th, we get a 5% early bird discount) NOW PAID !!! Thank you Dancing Angels Foundation !!! Look for the Dancing Angels Foundation on Facebook.
$600 estimated choreography fee and studio rental fee with teacher.
$150 registration cost for Dance Ideas Seminar, due by May 31st NOW PAID !!! Thank you Harlequin Dance Floors and The World Dances !!! Link to the announcement of the scholarship.
$1,500 estimated room and board cost for Gabby during LABA intensive (estimating $500 per week; will correct when we have exact information)
$225 two pairs of pointe shoes for the summer programs NOW PAID !!! Thank you, point shoe fairy!
$175 gas for two round trips to the Los Angeles area, plus daily driving to the seminars July 18 - 23
$70 for purchasing rights to photos and videos from various competitions, to be used for various scholarship applicaitons NOW PAID !!!
For instance, we are using this video clip for three different scholarship contest. This was from a competition in February 2016.
Gabby actually won a $250 scholarship from these folks in March 2015: follow this link to her win last year!
This contest is now ended, and Gabby won again! See Update #4 for more info.
$167 to cover the Go Fund Me 8% processing fee. And, just like last year, if you want to save us the 8% processing fee that Go Fund Me charges, you are welcome to send any gifts or donations directly to us, however, we do understand that using the website makes using your credit card easier. Know that all support, even the smallest amount, is welcomed and appreciated. We have been able to reduce this amount from $463, because of $3,701 in direct gifts and scholarships, avoiding much of the Go Fund Me processing fee.
Some of you may know that we lost a major source of dance funding in the last year when our landlord shut-down our AirBnb business. For 3 1/2 years, it was our primary source to pay for dance expenses. The loss of this income has been very difficult for us. At this time, Gabby's dance expenses take 39% of my take home pay ... and that's after various generous discounts and scholarships!
Gabby is currently working on ways to combine her love of dance with the need to fundraise. Recently she has had the opportunity to work as a substitute teacher for a beginning dance class. She is also starting her own business teaching dance at birthday parties and doing some babysitting. She is getting very creative at finding ways to bring in funds for dance. I am very proud of her entrepreneurship! She is putting 50% - 75% of anything that she earns towards her summer dance programs, and the rest goes towards dance supplies (leotards, clothes for dance classes, etc.).
Thank you to everyone who has been asking me to "hurry up and get that Go Fund Me page live, so I know what Gabby is doing this summer."
with much love and appreciation,
Gabby and Teri Flanders
Carmel Beach, March 2016
Gabby in the Snow corps de ballet, Dance Kids of Monterey County's December 2015 production of The Nutcracker, Sunset Center, Carmel.
